


Through The Fire

by SongAngel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Animagus Harry Potter, Because I can, Childhood Friends, Drarry, Fluff, Friendship/Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Rewriting the whole dang story, Romance, Soooooo excited, Soulmates, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-04-29 04:13:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 158,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14464764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongAngel/pseuds/SongAngel
Summary: Minerva McGonagall checks up on little Harry Potter and finds that not all is as it should be. She makes a decision that will change everything for the Boy Who Lives.





	1. The Boy Who Lived

The sun beat down on the houses of Privet Drive. Nearly everyone was inside their homes because of the stifling summer heat. A silver tabby cat was sitting in the shade of a shrub, watching two young boys play in one of the neat little yards. One of them was chubby and blond, his face round and pink. The other boy was thin and had untidy dark hair and round glasses.

The blond was playing with a ball, kicking it and then chasing it after it. He was holding a blue ice lolly in one meaty fist. The brunet didn't have a toy to play with or an ice lolly. He glanced frequently at the various toys scattered on the lawn but he didn't touch them. He amused himself by chasing a bug in the grass.

The smaller boy managed to pick up the bug and held it gently in his palm. But, it was as if his contentedness drew the other boy's spitefulness. Abruptly, the blond tackled the smaller boy, knocking him to the ground. The brunet cried out in pain, but the larger boy didn't seem concerned.

The cat darted forward abruptly, hissing and growling, startling the larger child into backing away. And then a wicked smile curled on his face. He lunged for the cat, laughing unkindly. Then he drew his foot back, aiming to kick the tabby.

"No!" the brunet cried, pushing at the bigger boy, knocking the ice lolly to the ground. The blond halted his attack on the cat to turn on the smaller child, wrenching the brunet's arm and shoving him to the ground roughly. This time the smaller boy screamed in agony.

"Diddykins?" a woman called out, running out the front door of the house.

The chubby boy screwed up his face and wailed. "He made me drop my ice lolly! He pushed me!" the blond cried, though not shedding a single tear.

"My poor darling," the woman said, hugging the blond to her thin frame. She cast a look of disgust at the crying little boy on the ground. "Come inside Dudders. We'll get you a new ice lolly."

"I want two," the boy declared, following his mother inside the house.

The cat held very still, waiting until the door had closed. Then it crept closer to the weeping child, sniffing at his face and tentatively licking at his tears. He whimpered as he moved, carefully sitting up to cradle his left arm to his chest. The cat bit down on the bottom of the boys shirt, tugging him. Luckily, the little boy allowed it, letting the tabby guide him to rest in the shade of the bushes. He relaxed on his side, his chest heaving with sobs. The cat nuzzled him, purring loudly.

The cat got up to move away, stopping as the boy sat up with a whimper. Meowing softly, the tabby placed one foot on the boys cheek. "I'll st-stay here," the boy stuttered, swallowing hard. He laid back down when the cat chirruped in response, his green eyes watching as the cat disappeared through the hedge. A moment later there was a sort of cracking sound.

The boy closed his eyes, hoping to sleep away the worst of the pain. His tears continued to flow as he wished for the cat to return.

HP~HP~HP

Minerva McGonagall stepped through the fireplace and into Albus Dumbledore's. "I warned you," she snarled without bothering with a proper greeting. "I told you that those muggles were the worst sort imaginable."

"Minerva, what's gotten you so worked up?" Albus asked, peering over his half moon spectacles. Minerva wasn't prone to hysterics, so he knew to take her seriously when she made such a dramatic entrance.

"Harry Potter is neglected and abused by those people," Minerva said, her tone ice cold.

"Surely, Petunia-"

"She left him outside alone after her useless lump of a son broke Harry's arm," Minerva snapped. She had the sudden urge to knock everything off of his desk. How could he have made such a horrible mistake?

Albus stood up, frowning in dismay. "We can't have that," he said firmly. He followed her through the green flames in the fireplace. He barely had time to recognize the living room he'd stepped into before she'd seized his arms and spun on the spot. They popped into a tidy yard behind one of the houses on Privet Drive. Albus recognized it as Arabella Figg's house.

Minerva transformed back into the silver tabby and took off around the hedges to the next yard. Albus sighed and followed her.

Minerva was both relieved and enraged to find the boy still huddled in the the shade of the bushes. He opened his watery green eyes and shuffled a bit to see the cat better without jostling his left arm. He looked a bit relieved until he saw an older man with a long white beard and funny clothes following the cat.

Harry gasped and sat up, scooting away from the man. His little face was blotchy from crying. The older man smiled a bit sadly. "It's alright Harry," he said kindly. "We're here to help you. I am Albus Dumbledore, and this is Minerva McGonagall," he explained, motioning to the tabby.

This drew a puzzled look from Harry. He sniffled and eyed the cat curiously. It was a very strange name for a cat. He reached out with his good arm and smiled slightly when the cat nuzzled his hand. But, Harry flinched and withdrew when he heard his aunt call out for him.

"Boy!" came Aunt Petunia's shrill voice. "What are you-" She stopped when she saw Albus. "What do you want?" she demanded.

"I was concerned over your nephew," Albus said lightly.

"He's fine," she retorted tersely. She leveled a glare at Harry. "Get in the house," she snapped.

Minerva growled in warning as Harry clambered to his feet.

"I think we need to have a little chat," Albus said grimly. "If we could come inside for a moment?"

"That is out of the question," Petunia said, taking a wary step back.

"I doubt that this is a conversation that you'd like to have in the yard Petunia," Albus said", pointedly. "And we are having this conversation," he added sternly. "It's not a request."

Petunia paled and hurried into the house. Harry followed her silently, his tears returning as his left arm throbbed horribly. Albus walked right into the house, politely holding it open for the cat to walk through. Vernon Dursley entered the living room, his eyes widening in shock at the sight of Albus. "Petunia, it's one of-" Vernon began, but his face quickly started to redden with anger. "I demand you leave at once. You're not welcome here."

Feeling a bit spiteful, Minerva transformed back into her human form, frightening a shriek out of Petunia. Harry gaped at her in shock and amazement. "How can you ignore a little boy with a broken arm?" she demanded.

"I'm sure it's not broken," Vernon responded, trying to sound dismissive but he was a bit tense. "He's always causing trouble."

Minerva frowned, watching Harry bow his head. She turned to Albus with an angry scowl. "Handle this," she pronounced furiously. Then she looked back at Harry. "Why don't you show me your room while the others talk," she suggested with a forced smile.

Harry moved without a word, not seeing the way Vernon and Petunia stiffened. He walked right toward the cupboard under the stairs. He opened the little door and winced at the gasp of horror from Minerva.

Minerva stared at the inside of the cupboard in shock. There was a small mat and a tattered blanket for the boy to sleep with. There were a few broken toys, but little else. "Albus," she called out, her voice shaking. "They've got him sleeping in the cupboard."

In a flash, Albus was at her side, his expression dismayed. Harry stood next to the little door, his frame trembling as he kept his head down submissively. It was a sobering sight, even setting aside his broken arm.

"I'm taking him out of here," Minerva said with forced calm. "He needs healing and a proper meal. You fix this, Albus," she commanded fiercely. "You fix this or so help me-" She left the open threat there, giving him a cold look before kneeling before Harry. "I'm going to take you to get your arm healed. And then you can have dinner."

Harry bit his lip, casting a frightened look at his Aunt and Uncle. They nodded jerkily, clearly not wanting to deny the angry woman anything that she might want to do. They looked rather frightened themselves.

"Come here my boy," Minerva said gently, guiding the boy closer and picking him up easily. "Just close your eyes tight," she instructed.

Harry closed his eyes, tightening his grip when he felt a sudden squeezing sensation. He groaned softly as a wave of dizziness swept over him.

"It's alright now. You can open your eyes," Minerva said, her arms still cradling him.

Harry looked around, amazed to find that he was now in a different house. The living room they were in appeared welcoming and comfortable with a dark green couch that looked very soft. Harry was quickly placed on the couch to discover that it was indeed quite soft. He looked up at Minerva in bewilderment. "How did we get here?" he asked with another little sniffle. His nose was running after shedding so many tears.

"Magic," Minerva told him with a little smile. "I use magic for a lot of things," she added, pulling out her wand and causing the tea set on the coffee table to levitate for a moment before carefully setting it back down.

Harry stared with wide eyes. "Will you show me more?" he requested hesitantly.

"Of course," Minerva agreed with a nod. "But first, we need to get you feeling better."

Harry watched as the woman tossed some kind of dust into the fireplace, causing green flames to appear. Then Minerva crouched down and stuck her head right into the flames. She remained their for a moment and then she'd pulled back and stood up, as if she hadn't just done something utterly bizarre. But, before Harry could question it, a second woman came out of the fireplace. She was wearing white robes.

"Poor lamb," the second woman said, looking Harry over. "Well, best start to work." She pulled out a wand and waved it over Harry, frowning in concentration. "Broken radius, contusions on the legs..." the woman muttered. "A mild concussion... Er- Is he very accident prone?" she asked uncertainly.

"Perhaps, but I doubt that is the problem here," Minerva said grimly.

The woman nodded, pulling a vial out of the pocket of her white robes. "Drink this for me dear," she said, not pausing before she held the vial to Harry's lips and guided him to tip his head back. Harry swallowed the potion, managing to keep it down despite the awful taste. "Good boy. Now we'll just wrap this up."

Minerva watched as Poppy Pomfrey gingerly wrapped Harry's arm. She'd gone to the house on Privet Drive many times over the last few years, checking up on little Harry in secret. She'd known for quite some time that Harry wasn't treated as well as he should have been. But, she hadn't been prepared to see him have his arm broken and then left alone to cry in pain. She had never imagined that they would lock such a sweet child in a cupboard under the stairs. Harry was treated with less regard than a family pet. If she hadn't made a habit of looking in on him, would the abuse and neglect have gotten worse?

Poppy finally turned to Minerva, her face grim. "He needs to keep those bandages on for three days to keep the bone stable, but he'll be perfectly fine," she said.

"Thank you Poppy," Minerva said, just as Albus came through the fireplace.

"Ah, Poppy," Albus greeted the Medi-witch. "How is young Harry?"

"On the mend," Poppy replied briskly. She gave Albus a stern look. "I don't know where you had the boy, but it was not safe for him there. He had a good number of injuries."

Albus nodded gravely, watching as Poppy murmured softly to Minerva before leaving through the fireplace. Albus opened his mouth to speak, but Minerva cut him off by addressing Harry.

"Come on then," she said, taking Harry's right hand in hers and leading him from the room. "You need to have dinner and then it's off to bed with you."

"Yes, ma'am," came the meek reply from Harry.

Harry was settled at the dining room table and very shortly was staring at a plate full of roasted chicken, potatoes and sprouts. He looked a little bewildered, glancing between the plate and Minerva. "That's for you," Minerva said, keeping her voice gentle. "Eat as much as you like, just don't make yourself sick."

"It's all for me?" Harry asked, shocked. Usually, he wasn't allowed to eat much, if at all, when he caused trouble. He nearly cried again when the stern looking woman smiled slightly and nodded at him. He had no idea what was going on, but he could enjoy this pleasant break from routine. His arm no longer hurt and maybe he could actually eat until the hunger finally subsided. He couldn't remember the last time that he hadn't felt hungry.

Minerva pulled Albus out of the dining room, casting a muffliato charm so Harry wouldn't overhear their conversation. "Well?" Minerva demanded.

"I've let the Dursley's know that their treatment of Harry is unacceptable," Albus said. "And we'll be checking on him to make sure that he's well cared for."

Minerva's expression darkened. "You cannot possibly be thinking of sending that poor child back," she snapped.

"They're his only family," Albus argued.

"That's not family," Minerva snarled. "They are blood relatives and nothing more. He deserves to be loved and cared for. He's been neglected and mistreated. He's obviously malnourished. He's only five Albus! You know as well as I do that there are a great many witches and wizards that would take him in."

"It's not that simple Minerva," Albus sighed. "Voldemort will return one day. I'm sure of it. And the blood wards will protect him."

"To hell with the blood wards," Minerva replied angrily. "That neglect and abuse is damaging mentally as much as physically. You risk Harry being warped and twisted with bitterness. What good is it to hide him behind the wards if it just turns him into another dark lord in the end?"

"That's a little extreme," Albus murmured, though the thought of Tom Riddles' time in a muggle orphanage made him wince internally.

"I won't have it," Minerva insisted, her voice shaking. "You are too blinded by your own logic in this. I don't want to do it, but I will fight you. I'll take it to the ministry if I have to. I won't let you send that poor child back into that house. Harry Potter will not be a victim of 'the greater good'." She declared stubbornly.

"Then what do you suggest?" Albus asked tiredly.

"I'll take care of him myself," Minerva replied immediately. "You know that he'd be safe with me."

"And what of Hogwarts?" he pressed. "You are a professor, and Hogwarts is no place for such a young boy."

Minerva thought for a moment, considering her options. "Remus Lupin," she said, smiling slightly. "We could leave Harry in his care when I have to be away. I'm sure that you could make allowances for me to be with Harry during the full moon."

Albus sighed, peering at Minerva over his half-moon spectacles. "Very well," he said with a reluctant nod. "I will strengthen your wards here and contact Remus for you. I'll meet with the minister as well."

"Good," Minerva said, sounding relieved. "I shall see you tomorrow." She turned and went to join Harry in the dining room.

Albus, having been abruptly dismissed, left the house in search of a certain werewolf.

Harry hummed at the taste of the chicken. He didn't think he'd ever had such a delicious meal. But, he was feeling very full so he set his fork down, yawning tiredly. He supposed that he'd be returning home now. Minerva had said that he needed to go to bed.

"Did you eat enough?" Minerva asked primly, looking down at him.

"Yes, ma'am," Harry responded. "Thank you."

"Good," Minerva nodded. "Then come with me. We'll get you cleaned up and I'll show you where you'll be sleeping."

Harry paused in the act of sliding off his chair. "I'm- You're not taking me home?" he asked uncertainly.

Minerva looked at him for a moment, considering. "Do you want to go home?" she asked. She waited a moment, while Harry appeared to think it over. "I don't think that your aunt and uncle were caring for you properly," she said carefully. "You shouldn't have to sleep under the stairs. You should be able to eat enough. You shouldn't be made to suffer with a broken arm. I knew your mother and father, and they wouldn't have wanted that for you."

"You knew my mum and dad?" Harry asked softly.

"I did," Minerva confirmed. "And I would be happy to tell you about them. But, that is a talk for another time. For now, I want to know if you would feel alright staying here with me."

Harry wasn't sure what to think. His aunt and uncle were his family, and he'd always thought that was just the way it was. It was strange to have someone that seemed concerned about him and what he wanted. He'd always been ignored in favor of Dudley. It would be nice to be away from Dudley at least. Finally, he nodded shyly and followed Minerva down a hallway.

The first stop was a bathroom where Harry was instructed to wash his hands and face. Once that was done, he was led to a bedroom. The room was sparsely furnished, but it did have a bed with a lovely blue and white quilt on it. Minerva used her wand to turn an old scarf into a set of pajamas and set them on the bed. She turned away so Harry could change and then helped him into the bed.

"Get some sleep," Minerva said, taking his glasses and setting them on a little table by the bed. "You are perfectly safe here. I'll see you in the morning."

Harry nodded, curling up and closing his eyes. Minerva put the lights out and left the room, a lump in her throat. That poor child was sweet and polite despite his horrid relatives. He'd had his parents taken away from him so cruelly, only to suffer further at the hands of his kin. She couldn't believe that Albus had planned to send him back. She knew that Albus felt that Harry would be vital if Voldemort ever returned, but allowing the child to suffer was too much. Nobody deserved that. Harry may indeed grow up to be powerful, but for now he was a scared, lonely little boy that needed someone to think of him as a child to be loved rather than a tool to be used.

Minerva had never married or had children. Her students were the closest that she'd managed to get to motherhood. But, she'd protect this child with her dying breath if that's what he needed. She'd never forget that he'd risked himself to protect her from Dudley while she'd been in cat form. That sort of selflessness was rare. It wasn't going to be easy, but she'd take care of the Boy Who Lived to the best of her ability. At that moment, her first concern was making sure he'd have clean clothes to put on the next morning. So, she moved to her fireplace. It was time to contact Molly Weasley.

HP~HP~HP

Minerva woke the next morning, hearing her cabinets being opened and closed. She frowned and got out of bed, her graying hair held in a messy braid. She hurried down the hall and into the kitchen. There she found little Harry Potter, searching her cabinets and placing various food and cooking items on the counter. He jumped and dropped a carton of eggs when he noticed Minerva watching him curiously.

"I- I'm sorry," he gasped, bending to pick up the eggs.

"That's alright," Minerva assured him. "Are you hungry?"

"I always make breakfast for my aunt and uncle," he said, his eyes filling with tears when he realized that all of the eggs were broken.

Minerva pursed her lips in disapproval, though she was quick to hide the expression from Harry. "Well, I suppose they'll be doing their own cooking today," she said lightly. "As for you, I don't expect you to cook for me. It's my job to take care of you. Why don't you sit at the table and I'll bring you something." She watched as Harry nodded hesitantly and hurried to the dining room, as if he suspected there may still be punishment for his clumsiness.

Minerva sighed and cleaned up the eggs with a wave of her wand. Then she set about preparing a healthy breakfast for the little boy. They had a lot to accomplish that day. He needed a proper wardrobe and she planned to get him some toys and books. Eventually, she'd take him to meet the Weasley children, but first she was going to make him feel at home.


	2. A New Friend For Harry

Remus Lupin stared in wonder at little Harry Potter. He'd managed to make it to Minerva's home before they'd left to go shopping. He didn't think that he'd be able to tolerate waiting for them to be finished with their errands. When Dumbledore had sought him out to tell him about Harry, he'd been devastated to hear of the boy's mistreatment. James and Lily would never have allowed their precious son to be so neglected. And Remus would never forgive himself if he didn't come to Harry's aid now.

Harry tilted his head to one side, wondering at the newcomer's watery gaze. "Do- Do I make you sad?" Harry asked.

Remus smiled and cleared his throat. "Only because you look so much like your dad," Remus replied quietly. "I'm really very glad to see you Harry."

"You knew my dad too?" Harry asked, eagerness creeping into his tone.

"He was one of my best friends," Remus answered. "You called me Uncle Moony when you were a baby. Well, you tried to call me Uncle Moony," he amended with a watery chuckle. "You left a few letters out."

Minerva smiled encouragingly at Remus. He'd been one of her favorite students when he'd been at school. His status as a werewolf had set him up for a difficult life, and he often isolated himself from others since his dearest friends were either dead of in Azkaban prison. Harry and Remus could be very good for one another.

"Perhaps you'd like to venture out with us," Minerva suggested. "Harry's needing some things and this gives you an opportunity to talk."

Remus agreed readily and soon they left the house and went to Diagon Alley for some shopping. Clothes, books and toys were purchased while Harry remained mostly silent, astounded that all of these items were apparently for him. He'd never had new things. His clothes had all been Dudley's and they never fit properly, hanging off of Harry's tiny frame. His only toys were those that he could find in the trash after Dudley had broken them. Minerva had even sent him to the loo to change into some of his new clothes partway into the shopping trip.

After lunch, Minerva decided that Harry needed some time to play. He'd been so well behaved, especially for one so young, and she was eager to reward him. She found a nearby park that was frequented by muggle and magical children alike. At that time, it was mostly abandoned, likely because of the heat. But, there was shade from some nearby trees and Harry had looked at the playground equipment so hopefully.

The only other people on the playground were a woman and a little boy that appeared to be around Harry's age. The woman was reading, occasionally glancing at her son to make sure he didn't wander off. They looked familiar...

The little boy was holding a dark green stuffed dragon while he scampered up the steps of the slide before sailing back down to the grass. Then he hopped onto one of the swings and wiggled about trying to get it to move. Harry approached him hesitantly, unsure of how he'd be received. "Want me to push you?" Harry asked.

The boy looked at Harry with a little frown, his gray eyes looking Harry over. "I like to go high," he stated simply , carefully keeping his dragon pinned under his arm while he gripped the chains of the swing.

Harry moved behind the other boy and gave him a push forward. He gave another push and then another until the other boy was laughing in delight. Harry smiled, the movement of the swing pushing a light breeze against his face.

After a while, the swing slowed and the little blond boy hopped off. "I'm Draco Malfoy," he announced proudly.

"I'm Harry Potter," Harry said, not noticing that Remus and Minerva were approaching.

Draco's eyes widened. He knew that name. He'd heard stories about the famous Boy Who Lived. To think that he'd had Harry Potter pushing him on the swings. Pansy would be so jealous.

"I like your dragon," Harry said. "Can I touch it?" He reached toward the stuffed dragon tentatively, wondering if it was as soft and squishy as it looked. His hand was swatted away.

"No!" Draco declared indignantly. "Mother says that I don't have to share my toys with anyone. They're mine."

"That's not very nice," Remus muttered, placing a consoling hand on Harry's shoulder.

"It's okay Uncle Moony," Harry sighed quietly. "Dudley doesn't like to share with me either. We can go now." His shoulders had sagged a bit in disappointment, but there was no use in complaining. Nobody ever played with him.

"Draco!"

The other woman hurried over to them, her eyes widening in recognition. She grasped her son's hand protectively, pulling him closer to her. "What do you want?" she snapped, glaring at Minerva.

Minerva gave her an exasperated look, gesturing at Harry.

Narcissa Malfoy looked down at Harry, recognition flickering on her face as she caught a glimpse of the scar that was mostly hidden by his hair. The boy didn't seem dangerous, and nobody was sure of how he defeated the dark lord. Still, he was in the care of two known members of the Order of the Phoenix and her husband was a death eater. It was best to take her child and leave.

"Come Draco," she said, pulling her son along. To her surprise, he resisted.

Draco wasn't really paying attention to the adults and their discomfort. He had found himself more interested in the sad look on Harry's face. Draco didn't often get to play with other children. And he didn't much like the children that he was forced to interact with. But Harry had pushed him on the swings. And he didn't fight or argue when Draco wouldn't let him touch his toy dragon. Draco suddenly had the impulse to try something different.

"Mother?" he asked, his voice sweet. "May I share my dragon with Harry? I want to play with him."

Narcissa paused, sighing quietly. That was certainly not a request that her son had ever made before. "Darling, you can't play with... Harry," she said stiffly.

"Why not?" Draco asked petulantly. "He's nice and pushed me on the swing." He looked down, shuffling his feet a bit and casting a shy look at Harry. "I want him for my friend."

"You have friends already," Narcissa argued.

"No, I don't!" Draco cried, getting frustrated. "Other boys don't play with me, or they're mean. And I don't like Pansy." His bottom lip made its quivering appearance as he looked up at his mother with pleading eyes. "I want a friend."

Narcissa frowned, hating to see her son so upset. She knew he must be lonely. Draco was, admittedly, a spoilt child. A lot of the other pureblood children were much the same. It was common among the wealthy families. They formed alliances rather than friendships. It's how things were done. But... She wanted more for her son. She met Minerva's suspicious gaze. "Would you mind?" she asked warily

Minerva pursed her lips, glancing at Harry. He was looking at Draco hopefully. She turned to Remus, at a loss.

Remus was looking between the two boys. "Would you like a new friend Harry?" he asked. Remus didn't care for the Malfoys. But, he couldn't help but wonder if a friendship between Harry and the little Malfoy heir would be beneficial. For all her faults, Narcissa loved her son.

"Can I?" Harry asked. "I don't have any friends."

"You have me," Draco said, grabbing Harry's hand excitedly. "I want to be your friend." He looked at the adults. "Can we play?" Barely waiting for a nod of acceptance, he pulled Harry toward the swings. He urged Harry to sit on a swing and then pressed his stuffed dragon into Harry's arms before he moved to press his hands to Harry's back.

Harry was surprised by Draco's change of attitude. He hadn't wanted to share his toy with Harry. But now it seemed that he wanted a friend badly enough to surrender his toy. Harry hadn't encountered someone that really wanted to be friends with him before.

"This complicates things," Narcissa murmured, watching the two boys.

"Or maybe it's more simple than you think," Remus said lightly. "Though, I'm assuming that Lucius must not be made aware of this."

"He would not be pleased," Narcissa agreed. "But, Draco was right. He doesn't have friends. Not really. He mainly associates with the children of..."

"Death Eaters?" Minerva suggested, watching Harry attempt to hug the dragon while holding onto the swing.

"I admit to nothing," Narcissa responded haughtily. "But, shifting aside loyalties from the war... I want Draco safe and happy. I'm clever enough to recognize a beneficial alliance when I see one." She fell silent, watching as Harry tumbled from the swing, giggling and hugging the stuffed dragon. Draco pulled him to his feet, laughing as well.

The three adults watched silently as the two little boys chased one another, giggling and shrieking. Draco poked carefully at the bandages on Harry's arm, but carefully avoided jostling it in their play. They played until they were exhausted from the heat and the energy they'd expended. Remus gave them some pumpkin juice from a flask, laughing when Harry hummed happily at the new flavor.

"We should be going now," Minerva said lightly.

"But-" Draco objected, already working up a good pout.

"We need to be going as well," Narcissa informed her son, giving him a sharp look to halt his arguments.

Draco sighed unhappily. "When will I be able to play with Harry again?" he asked, shifting a little closer to the brunet. "He's my best friend, so we have to be together sometimes."

Narcissa frowned thoughtfully. What were the odds that she'd allow her son to come to this park on the day that Harry Potter was brought to play? As far as she knew, nobody had really seen the boy since that fateful night when his parents had died and Voldemort had been defeated. But there he was, in an ordinary park, enchanting her son with his sweetness. Narcissa had never known Draco to take to anyone so well. She cleared her throat delicately, wondering if her choice would have far reaching consequences.

"We may come back to this park next week," Narcissa said pointedly. She waited, unsure of how the Order members would respond.

"It is a nice park," Remus noted. "Perhaps Harry would enjoy having a picnic lunch here," he mentioned to Minerva. Minerva rolled her eyes but gave a terse nod.

Draco cheered, pulling Harry into a hug. "We'll see each other again next week!" he enthused. "Don't forget about me Harry."

"I won't," Harry promised, a little confused by the hug, but enjoying it all the same. The boys offered a parting wave, glancing back at each other as they were lead away.

Arriving back at Minerva's house, Harry was ushered upstairs to put away his new things. Minerva prepared dinner while Remus helped Harry. The little boy seemed delighted by the magic used to put everything away, and overwhelmed with the knowledge that all of the new items were for him.

"Did you have fun today?" Remus asked.

"Yes," Harry answered with a shy smile. "I've never had new clothes and toys before. And I made my first friend today." He paused, biting his lip, before going on. "I thought maybe Draco was like Dudley. But then he wanted to play with me. And he hugged me," he added.

"He did," Remus chuckled. "I think he's excited to be your friend. Maybe you could bring a toy to share with him the next time you play together," he suggested.

Harry nodded eagerly, happy to do something nice for his new friend.

Remus swallowed hard around a lump in his throat. He felt so guilty for staying away for so long. Could he have prevented the poor treatment of this darling little boy? There was nothing he could do about his past mistakes, but he could be there for Harry now. He'd love James and Lily's son as they had.

When Harry went to bed, Remus sat down with Minerva for a cup of tea. They hadn't had much opportunity to talk all day with Harry being with them. Albus had made himself scarce all day, likely avoiding Minerva's wrath.

"What do you think of him?" Minerva asked, giving Remus a knowing look.

"He's wonderful," Remus responded. "Such a kind heart and sweet spirit. I don't see how anyone could be cruel to him."

"I agree," Minerva sighed. "But we're fixing that now. Harry will be in my care, but I'll need someone to keep him while I'm at Hogwarts."

"I can't," Remus said, his expression sad and regretful.

"Being a werewolf doesn't make you unfit to look after Harry," Minerva said. "I've already talked to Albus and he'll make allowances so I can take Harry during the full moon."

"Surely someone else would be better suited," Remus argued. "The Weasleys-"

"Already have five children that are not yet old enough for Hogwarts," Minerva retorted. "Their hands are full. And, I think Harry would benefit from more individual care." She huffed a little when Remus looked away. "This is what James and Lily would have wanted. You know that's true."

Remus knew there was little point in arguing. He supposed that it would be fine if Minerva already had a plan in place for the full moon. And he had to agree with Minerva's assessment. Harry deserved some time to have his care be someone's central focus. Minerva was strict, but she was caring. She'd make sure that Harry was well cared for. He'd probably end up the most polite and well behaved child in England under her guidance. The thought made Remus smile.

"Co-parenting Harry Potter," Remus said with a sad little smile. "I wish that I had stuck around to keep an eye on him. I thought he'd be alright with the Dursleys. If I hadn't been so selfish-"

"It's useless to think that way," Minerva chided. "You were grieving. You lost your friends that night. And I don't think anyone expected Albus to make such a poor judgement call," she added, looking annoyed. "All you can do now is make sure that Harry is safe and loved."

Remus nodded mutely, unable to speak for the moment. He wasn't sure that he'd ever be able to express his gratitude to his ex-professor.

HP~HP~HP

Meeting the Weasleys was as chaotic as Minerva feared it would be. The twins, Fred and George, played little pranks while Percy complained loudly and frequently. Ron and Ginny had been eager to play, but Harry had become very nervous around all the noise and people.

Minerva had been stunned when Harry had clung anxiously to her side. His green eyes filled with tears as he cringed away from the raucous laughter of the twins. Minerva lifted Harry onto her lap while Molly Weasley scolded her children and sent them upstairs.

"I'm sorry Harry dear," Molly said sympathetically. "They're just very excited. Would like some pie?"

Harry sniffled, rubbing his eyes. He nodded slowly, after a glance to be sure that Minerva didn't mind. "Minnie?" Harry asked softly. "Is it always so loud here?"

Minerva chuckled. "Sometimes," she admitted. "But they're a nice family and I think they'll be good friends for you. Just give it time."

Harry nodded obediently. Then he smiled uncertainly when a generous helping of pie was place in front of him. "Thank you," he said to Molly politely.

"What lovely manners," Molly praised. She smiled kindly at Harry's bashful grin. "We'll all be good friends Harry."

Minerva looked on as Molly and Arthur coaxed Harry into conversation. She had been surprised by the fact that Harry had sought comfort from her. It made sense, since he didn't know anyone else, but it was profound for Minerva. Despite fearing that she would fail to provide the affection that Harry needed, in a matter of days she'd made him feel safe enough to turn to her for comfort and security.

On Harry's birthday, Remus took him to the park. Harry had liked the idea of a birthday party, but the thought of being crowded into a room with all of the Weasley children made Harry rather nervous. So, Minerva was going to provide a special dinner and cake while Remus took the birthday boy to the park.

Draco was brought to the park as well, carrying a present for Harry. He was looking quite pleased with himself as he handed the package to Harry. "Happy birthday!" Draco exclaimed excitedly.

"Thank you," Harry replied, eyeing the present curiously.

"It's for you silly," Draco told him. "Open it."

Harry hesitantly pulled the wrapping paper away and opened the box. Inside was a stuffed dragon, like Draco's. But this one was a lighter green.

"Now you've got one too," Draco said cheerfully. "We can play with them together."

Harry stared at the dragon in his hands. He'd never gotten a present before. He liked Draco's toy dragon, but now he had his own.

Draco frowned worriedly as he noticed tears in Harry's eyes. Narcissa noticed them as well. In the weeks that they'd been meeting for play dates, she'd been watching the boy who lived. She spoke little to his guardians, but she had discovered that he'd been living with muggles. Clearly he'd not been doted on like Draco had. While she didn't care to get attached, she felt a twinge of compassion for the boy's distress. Narcissa gave Draco a little push toward his friend.

Draco took the cue appropriately and hugged Harry. "I'm sorry Harry," he said hesitantly. "I thought you'd like it. I can get you something else."

"I love it," Harry replied softly. "Thank you."

Draco gave one final squeeze and then released Harry. "Good," Draco said. "Now, we have to think of a name for it." He looped his arm through Harry's and guided them toward a lovely patch of grass in the shade.

"Young Harry has an interesting effect on my son," Narcissa commented, watching the two boys pensively.

"We're... grateful that you allow Draco to play with Harry," Remus said softly. "He's very fond of Draco. He doesn't have many friends."

"I find that hard to believe," Narcissa said. "He's a surprisingly pleasant child."

Remus considered Narcissa for a moment. For obvious reasons, he couldn't tell her much. But, Harry's muggle relatives hardly mattered at this point and Harry was well protected.

"Harry was neglected and abused by his family," Remus said, careful to keep his voice down. "When we came here the first time, his arm was bandaged because his cousin had broken his arm and then he'd been left outside to suffer alone." He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "He was so surprised when Minerva bought him clothes and toys. He got up early that first day and tried to cook breakfast, because it was expected of him at his aunt's house. A five year old," he added bitterly.

Narcissa was horrified. She had known that the child looked a little too thin and strangely skittish... But she hadn't understood what he'd been through. She would have thought the boy who lived would be pampered and adored like her own son. The thought made her chest tighten with sympathy.

"Poor dear," Narcissa murmured. "I'm glad he's being properly cared for now." She hesitated, glancing at Remus. "And I'm happy to allow Draco to associate with him, provided it remains secret. I can't risk my son's safety."

Remus nodded in understanding. "I wouldn't compromise Draco's safety," he assured her. "I'm actually rather fond of him. I won't hold my opinion of Lucius against Draco." He smiled when peals of laughter came from the two boys who were now tickle fighting in the grass. "And Minerva agrees, despite her stern expressions."

Narcissa smiled slightly. She had a number of concerns with allowing these play dates between Draco and Harry, the first being that Lucius wouldn't be pleased. The war itself aside, Harry wouldn't be considered an appropriate playmate. He was a half-blood, and considered inferior to the Malfoy heir. But it was easy to forget their blood statuses when you witnessed their unrestrained affection for one another. It made Narcissa question her own beliefs.


	3. Visiting Hogwarts

Harry looked around in amazement. He was in a real castle. It was called Hogwarts, which was a very silly name, but Minerva had been so serious when she said it that Harry didn't laugh. He still had trouble believing that he'd be a student at Hogwarts and learn magic, but it was very exciting to think about.

Harry was in awe as he watched the staircases changing and the people in the portraits moving. They whispered to each other and waved at the little boy, occasionally calling out questions. Harry just waved shyly back.

Nearly Headless Nick, one of the school ghosts, gave Harry quite a fright as he floated right through a wall in front of Minerva. Harry cried out in alarm, backing away from the ghost with frightened tears welling up.

Minerva turned and scooped Harry up, letting him hide his face against her shoulder. He trembled in her arms.

"Oh dear," Sir Nicholas muttered. "I didn't intend to frighten the lad."

"It's alright," Minerva sighed. "I forgot to warn him about the ghosts."

"What in Merlin's name is going on?"

An angry voice bellowed from the staff room and a man threw open the door with a bang. The noise only caused Harry to tighten his grip on Minerva with a whimper.

"Severus, calm yourself," Minerva grumbled warily. "He's frightened enough."

"You're talking about the son of James Potter," Severus reminded her, his tone unimpressed.

Harry shifted at the sound of his father's name. He turned around and looked at the angry sounding man. He had very pale skin and dark lanky hair. His dark eyes peered at Harry and his thin lips were pressed together, as if to stop himself from speaking. Harry was a little distracted by his large crooked nose.

Severus looked Harry over briefly. He did look a lot like James. But those bright green eyes were definitely Lily's. It was a bit disconcerting to see the tear streaked cheeks of James Potter's son. Harry didn't look malicious and arrogant as Severus had convinced himself the boy would be. He looked terrified.

Albus stepped through the doorway and sighed sympathetically at Harry's tears. "This is no way to start your first time at Hogwarts," he chided gently, holding his arms out. Harry went to him willingly, patting the long hair of Albus' beard. "Come inside. Would you like a cockroach cluster?"

Harry sniffled and then wrinkled his nose. "I don't like cockroaches," he said, his tone apologetic.

Albus paused and then chuckled. "I suppose that name is a bit off-putting," he agreed, giving Harry's tummy a gentle poke and making the boy smile. "What about a biscuit?"

Harry nodded and was promptly given a chocolate biscuit. The room they had just entered was full of adults. They were all looking at Harry curiously and Harry was tempted to hide under Albus' beard.

"Now Harry," Albus said, placing the boy on a chair at the table. "We have to have a little meeting for the teachers. It won't take long. I have a book for you to look at while we talk. Can you sit here for me?"

"Yes sir," Harry replied with a little nod as Albus set a book of fairy tales on the table. Harry smiled at Minerva as she sat next to him and handed him his dragon. Albus patted his head and returned to his own chair. Harry ate his biscuit and started looking through the book. He couldn't read much, but there were lots of funny pictures to look at.

Severus watched the boy pensively. Minerva had briefly explained the child's situation. Severus had known Petunia as a child and, while he'd never been fond of her, he'd never thought that she could be so cruel to her own nephew. Severus had assumed that James' son would be the bully that his father had been. Instead, Severus was looking at a child that didn't seem likely to behave in such away. Especially since he was now under Minerva's care.

The meeting was indeed short, but it didn't seem very short to Harry. He grew bored rather quickly. He contented himself with hugging his dragon and looking around at the staff. A few of the teachers looked back at him, offering friendly smiles.

Finally, Albus clapped his hands together once. "That's all for now," he announced cheerfully. "Thank you, Harry, for your patience. I'll make sure that the house elves bring you ice cream after dinner." He winked, earning a smile from the child. Most of the professors left, politely resisting the urge to crowd around the little boy. Albus remained where he was, pretending to look over some notes while he glanced over at Severus.

Harry leaned against Minerva, glancing warily at Severus and wondering why he seemed so grumpy. Severus was peering at Harry pensively.

"Harry, this is Professor Severus Snape," Minerva said. "He teaches potions."

"Hello," Harry said uneasily.

"My godson has a dragon like that," Severus mentioned, feeling stupid for making small talk with a young child.

"My friend Draco gave it to me," Harry responded, hugging the dragon closer.

Severus blinked in surprise, his gaze darting to Minerva. "How does he know Draco?"

"Draco and Mrs. Malfoy happened to be at the park when I took Harry to play," Minerva explained. "We let the boys meet to play at the park every week."

"Narcissa agreed to such an arrangement?" Serverus asked incredulously.

"I was as surprised as you are," Minerva admitted. "But the boys are very fond of each other. Draco wasn't willing to give Harry up without putting up a fight."

Severus sighed and shook his head. He wasn't sure of what Narcissa was playing at. Of course, Draco did tend to get whatever he wanted. Was she willing to risk her husband's ire to allow her son to have the friend he had chosen?

"I will speak to her," he said tiredly. "I'll let her know that I'll keep her secret. She'll go to great lengths to make that child happy."

"Is it bad for Draco to be my friend?" Harry asked timidly.

Severus hesitated, glancing at Minerva. "I think it's good for Draco to have a friend like you," he said, forcing himself to look at Harry. "Draco's father won't understand that. But, he doesn't have to know," he concluded, waving his hand dismissively.

His response seemed to ease Harry's mind and the boy smiled at him. Severus wasn't accustomed to children smiling at him. Unnerved, he got up and nodded to Minerva before sweeping out of the room.

Albus watched him go before winking cheerily at Harry. "A positive first meeting I think," he told Minerva.

"Indeed," Minerva smirked. "His enthusiasm was overwhelming," she said sarcastically.

Albus chuckled shaking his head. Then he turned to Harry. "Now, I believe Minerva has some lesson plans to work on," he said. "Why don't you and I go and explore the castle?"

Harry nodding eagerly, hugging Minerva quickly. He hopped down from his chair and reached up to hold Albus' hand as they left the room. Minerva watched them go, grateful that Albus hadn't forced her to fight him on Harry's living arrangements. The blood wards might have been ideal, but not at the cost of Harry's well being. The child was so shy and anxious.

But instead of enforcing his will, Albus had acknowledged Harry's suffering and agreed that it wasn't acceptable. He'd become like a doting grandfather. He didn't spoil Harry as he seemed tempted to do, but he did lavish the boy with affection. And that was what Harry needed more than anything.

Harry excitedly took in all the sights around the castle. After an hour, he was very tired of walking, but there was so much to see. To his delight, Albus picked him up and continued their tour. He'd been allowed to see the common rooms and some of the classrooms. The house elves made him a little nervous, but they'd been so nice to him. They bowed or curtsied, asking for Harry to call on them if he had need of anything.

When it was time for dinner, Harry was quite tired. But the magnificent Great Hall revived him a bit. He ate his dinner, looking around at the floating candles and up at the enchanted ceiling. As promised, the house elves made sure that Harry got ice cream once he'd finished his meal.

The next few days were spent similarly. Harry loved Hogwarts and wished that he could stay. But, he knew that school was starting soon and the place would be full of students.

The day before the students were set to return, Minerva took Harry back to her house. It had been decided that Remus would stay at Minerva's house. That way, Harry could keep the bedroom that he was comfortable in and be in a familiar home.

"I don't want you to go Minnie," Harry whimpered, hugging Minerva around her waist.

Minerva returned the hug gently. "Remus will bring you to see me on the Hogsmeade weekend," she assured him. "And the full moon is in two weeks," she remembered suddenly. "So I'll see you then." Harry nodded dejectedly, making Minerva's heart heavy. "You'll have a wonderful time with Remus," she told him.

Swallowing hard, Harry released his grip as Remus came through the floo. Remus opened his arms. "Come here pup," he murmured, kneeling to embrace Harry. "It'll be alright. I'll be with you."

"You can reach me any time if you need to," Minerva said, gently petting Harry's hair. "I'll see you in a few weeks." After pressing a kiss to Harry's head, she stepped through the floo and disappeared in the green flames.

Harry didn't want to cry. He wanted to act like a big boy. But his Minnie was the first person, in his memory, to show him affection. Watching her leave made his stomach hurt and his eyes burn. He nuzzled into Remus as the tears started to fall.

"We'll be alright," Remus said, sitting on the couch and setting Harry on his lap. He hated to see Harry cry, but he'd come to adore being allowed to soothe the little boy. "I'm taking you to see Draco tomorrow. Won't that be nice?"

Harry nodded, rubbing at his eyes. "Uncle Moony?" he asked in a small voice.

"Yeah pup?"

"You're not leaving me?" Harry checked, meeting Remus' gaze anxiously.

"Of course not," Remus assured him. "I love you, and I'm going to be here for you. I do have to leave for a day or two in a few weeks, but Minnie will be back for that. Does that sound alright?" When Harry nodded his agreement, Remus smiled. "What do you think about pizza for dinner?"

"I've never had it," Harry told him.

"Then you're in for a treat," Remus grinned.

Harry smiled. Remus was wonderful. He was more gentle than Minerva and was more likely to show affection with hugs and cuddles. Harry still missed Minerva, but Remus was a great alternative.

HP~HP~HP

Harry's face lit up the next day when Draco came running up to him. In the next moment, Draco leapt into his arms, knocking them both to the ground. Narcissa winced at the sight, hoping that they would end up injuring each other. Over the last several weeks, Draco hadn't lost any of his enthusiasm over Harry. It made her feel nervous but, at the same time, she loved to see the way her son would brighten at the sight of his little friend.

"You were supposed to catch me," Draco chided with a laugh.

"You're bigger than me," Harry retorted, giving up on wriggling away from Draco and hugging the blond happily.

"Help Harry up darling," Narcissa instructed, smiling indulgently. She watched as they got to their feet and ran toward the swings. "Harry looks a little pale. Is he unwell?"

"Minerva went back to Hogwarts yesterday," Remus told her. "It was difficult for Harry. But he's alright. He was looking forward to seeing Draco today."

Narcissa nodded in understanding. She hated to admit the strange fondness she had for Harry. She'd carefully kept these meetings a secret. They were harmless, after all. But Lucius wouldn't see it that way.

"I'm glad that Draco makes him feel better," Narcissa said. "Harry's a sweet boy."

Draco was pushing Harry on the swing, listening as Harry talked about Minerva going back to Hogwarts. Harry was still sad, but he was feeling calmer. Remus always took good care of him.

"Some day we'll go to Hogwarts and learn magic too," Draco said excitedly. "And we'll get to be together all the time!"

"We will?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Sure! You're my best friend," Draco replied. "We'll have classes together, eat together... And we'll play Quidditch!" Draco had exuberantly told Harry about Quidditch two weeks prior.

Harry smiled at the thought. Harry loved watching Minnie and Moony use magic and they'd said that one day he could too. And it would be nice to be at Hogwarts and to see Draco more than once a week.

"When we're done with school," Draco went on, "we'll just get married. That way mother can't make me leave the park to have dinner."

Harry nodded along. It sounded reasonable enough to him. Pleased with his planning, Draco grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him toward the adults. "I'm going to marry Harry," Draco announced proudly.

Narcissa stared at Draco in surprise while Remus choked on his laughter. "You're too young to make such a decision," Narcissa said patiently.

"But Pansy said she was going to marry me," Draco argued with a scowl. "I really don't want her to," he added fervently. Harry giggled.

"Draco, you have many years before you have to worry about marriage," Narcissa told him.

"We won't get married until after school," Draco assured her.

"Draco..." Narcissa sighed.

"Father said when I'm older he'll find a pretty girl for me to marry," Draco complained, releasing Harry's hand to fold his arms petulantly. "But I don't want him too. I don't like girls."

"You'll probably change your mind about that in a few years," Remus commented lightly. He grinned when Draco wrinkled his nose at the idea. "What do you think Harry?"

Harry gave a helpless sort of shrug that had Remus snorting with laughter. Luckily, Draco didn't notice Harry's lack of enthusiasm. A moment later, Draco was holding Harry's hand again and heading toward the slide.

Remus chuckled heartily and Narcissa smirked at him. "You get to be the one to tell Minerva that you let Harry get engaged after she'd been gone for less than a day," Narcissa said.

Remus rolled his eyes, his grin still firmly in place. "Very funny," he retorted. "Good luck explaining this to Lucius in a few years."

Narcissa shook her head in amusement. It was rather adorable too see her son firmly declaring that he was going to marry his best friend. Before long, Draco would understand the significance of marriage. For now, it was safe to let him imagine that life could be so simple.

HP~HP~HP

That evening, Ron came over to spend the night with Harry. They hadn't had much opportunity to get to know one another with all the other Weasley children around. Luckily, the two boys got along rather quickly.

They had spaghetti for dinner and then chocolate cake provided by Molly. Once they were, finished Ron tried to teach Harry to play exploding snap. It didn't go well.

Remus walked into the living room to find the boys rolling on the floor and giggling. It was nice to see Harry having so much fun. "Alright boys," Remus said, drawing their attention. "You have an hour to play, and then you're off to bed."

Harry and Ron nodded and hurried to Harry's room. Harry had a decent collection of toys by then. They argued a few times but they settled themselves without needing Remus' interference.

Ron was a nice boy and he seemed to be good for Harry. He seemed to thrive on having Harry's focus on him. It couldn't be easy having five older brothers, but Ron's experience with siblings made him adept at cooperative play. With Harry, there was very little struggle. Harry was content to have a friend and didn't really mind doing whatever Ron felt like doing. Ron rewarded Harry's agreeable passivity by being remarkably kind.

After they'd been sent to bed, they continued to whisper and giggle. Remus decided to allow it. What was a sleepover without a bit of whispering in the dark? And it was a good way to help ease away the ache in Harry's heart from Minerva being away.


	4. Growing Up

Harry grew older and flourished under the guidance of Remus and Minerva, or Moony and Minnie as Harry called them. He was tutored by Moony in reading and math. He didn't much enjoy it, but he discovered that he was smarter than the Dursleys ever gave him credit for.

When Harry was nine, he convinced his guardians to help him become an Animagus. Minerva had resisted the idea at first, but she relented when Albus offered his assistance. The process was long and frustrating but, after a year, Harry managed the transformation.

Remus had been expecting a stag, but it wasn't to be. He'd wondered if such a blatant reminder of James would break his heart all over again. Instead, Harry had become a black kitten with green eyes and an oddly shaped patch of white fur on his forehead. Harry's animagus form would eventually age and become an adult. But until then, Remus found himself chasing after a kitten. It made the werewolf feel young and happy again.

Minerva was delighted with Harry's animal form. She would have been proud either way, but now she had a unique bonding opportunity. So, Harry was brought to Hogwarts toward the end of summer, just after his tenth birthday.

Minerva very much enjoyed transforming and exploring the castle with the little black kitten. She was suddenly seeing Hogwarts from his perspective. She showed Harry how to climb safely, how safely squeeze into small spaces. It seemed like a good idea to assist Harry in behaving as cat-like as possible.

Harry picked up the strange lessons rather quickly. He loved spending time with his Minnie in such a way. This was something for just the two of them, and he treasured it. His mother was dead, but Minnie was the next best thing in Harry's opinion.

"Severus is especially irritable today," Minerva noted, looking down at her feline companion after one staff meeting. Harry had been curled up under her chair the whole time, going completely unnoticed. "Would you like to go cheer him up?"

Harry meowed and then purred as Minerva scooped him up. Albus followed Minerva, curious and eager to know what she was planning. Severus generally avoided contact with Harry when the boy visited Hogwarts each summer. Harry seemed to make the dour man a bit uncomfortable, though Severus avoided displaying open hostility. It was as if he was waiting for Harry to suddenly start acting like his father. Minerva was determined to dispel that notion.

She made her way to Severus' office and knocked on the door, winking at Albus as he stepped up next to her. Severus looked suspicious as he allowed Albus and Minerva into his office. He eyed the kitten in Minerva's arms, but didn't comment.

When Minerva sat down, she set the kitten in her lap. "I think we need to come to an agreement about Quidditch practice schedules," she said. "It isn't right for any team to have an advantage over the others."

Severus took his own seat and smirked at her. "You only say that because your precious Gryffindors have been losing these last two years," he retorted. "My house shouldn't be blamed for lack luster competition."

Minerva gave Harry a tiny nudge as she rolled her eyes at Severus. "If your students are so superior, than it should be of no consequence to divide practice times more fairly," she argued.

Harry jumped onto the desk, pleased that he hadn't fallen. "Minerva, remove your cat from my desk," Severus sighed.

"It's only a kitten Severus," Albus chuckled. "Let him explore."

Severus scowled but resumed his argument with Minerva. Albus watched cheerfully as Harry walked all over the desk, batting at quills and knocking them to the floor. He sniffed at every scrap of parchment and curiously eyed an open jar. He put his paws on the rim and then used his back legs to jump, wiggling his furry body into the jar. Pleased with himself, he curled up and began to purr. Albus forced himself not to laugh.

Severus had quickly decided that Minerva was arguing just to annoy him. He looked around his desk frowning. He sighed when he spotted his jar full of kitten. "I was going to use that," he growled.

Harry opened his eyes and meowed when he saw that Severus was looking at him. To his delight, Severus reached into the jar. Harry retaliated by pawing at him playfully. He hadn't learned how to do that without scratching yet though.

Severus withdrew his hand quickly. "This animal is vicious," he informed Minerva flatly. Minerva rolled her eyes. To spite her, Severus picked up the jar and tipped it over, pouring the kitten back onto the desk.

Harry shook his head after his brief tumble. He walked around in a circle, deciding what to do next. Suddenly, it seemed that stalking Severus' twitching fingers was the most brilliant idea. He crouched, his hind quarters wriggling as he prepared to pounce.

"Don't even think about it," Severus said, picking the kitten up by his scruff. He lifted the kitten to eye level, ignoring the way it squirmed and meowed pitifully. Severus sighed when he noticed the cat's green eyes. "Is this Potter?" he demanded incredulously.

Minerva and Albus chuckled. "Convincing isn't he?" Albus asked. "He's been learning to 'cat' from Minerva," he added, making finger quotes around the word cat.

"Did you just use the word cat as a verb?" Severus asked flatly.

"Possibly," Albus replied, unfazed. "Perhaps you could set Harry down though? That looks uncomfortable."

Severus set the kitten down on the floor, and then folded his arms across his chest. He was reluctantly impressed as he watched Harry transform. The boy straightened, smiling proudly. His smile faltered as he looked at Severus. "Sorry Professor Snape," he said, ducking his head. "I, uh- I can't really help it. I'm sorry if I annoyed you."

Harry's instincts as an animal were sometimes hard to ignore. He could think clearly, but the urge to play and explore was very great. He usually managed pretty well, but Severus Snape had a low tolerance for foolish behavior. Harry really didn't want the man to hate him before he even started school.

Severus sighed. "It might have been... slightly entertaining to see you curled up inside a jar," he said stiffly. "I trust that you will use this ability responsibly."

"Yes sir," Harry nodded obediently.

"Good," Severus said tersely. "Very impressive Mr. Potter," he admitted. He glanced at Minerva and Albus with a frown. They were enjoying themselves far too much. "Would you mind getting these two out of here?" he asked Harry impatiently.

Harry giggled. "Yes sir," he said again. He stepped in front of Albus and Minerva with a grin. He waved his hands in a shooing motion.

Albus grinned but followed Minerva out of the office. Harry stepped through the doorway and closed the door behind them. "I think that went well," Albus said, jovially patting Harry on the back.

Severus rolled his eyes. Of course the Potter boy would become an animagus before even becoming a student at Hogwarts. Even worse, it was becoming increasingly difficult to dislike the child.

HP~HP~HP

"Harry, you've got a letter," Remus said, taking an envelope from the owl and handing it a strip of bacon. The owl let out a muffled hoot before flying back out the window.

Harry looked up from his breakfast, eyeing the letter curiously. Remus handed it over, his eyes bright with excitement. Harry hastily opened the letter, his heart rate accelerating with anticipation. "Dear Mister Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts school of..." Harry read aloud before his eyes lit up. "I'm going to Hogwarts!" he cheered.

"You knew that you would," Remus reminded him, looking amused.

"But now it's official," Harry returned, waving the letter in Remus' face with a grin.

"The second page should be your supply list," Remus informed him, nodding meaningfully at Harry's unfinished breakfast. "We'll need to go shopping."

"Will Minnie be going with us?" Harry asked.

"She will," Remus confirmed with a nod. "And you'll have to start calling her Professor McGonagall soon."

Harry grinned at the idea before he realized something. "I won't be able to see you," he said mournfully.

"Oh pup, don't worry about that," Remus said, reaching out to stroke Harry's hair. "We'll write to each other. And I'll see you at Christmas. You'll have Draco and Ron with you," he reminded Harry.

"What if we're in different houses?" Harry asked. "Ron said that all his brothers have been in Gryffindor. And the Malfoys have always been in Slytherin." Harry didn't mention that Ron claimed that dark wizards came from Slytherin. Surely not all of them were dark.

"You'll make friends no matter which house you end up in," Remus said gently. "And being in a different house doesn't mean that you can't be friends with Ron or Draco. What suits you the best may not be the same for either of them." He patted Harry's shoulder with an encouraging smile. "I'll be proud of you no matter what. So don't worry about it."

Minerva said the same thing when she arrived half an hour later. With his worries temporarily soothed, Harry was sent to get ready so they could go shopping. He was excited to get his school supplies and to see Diagon Alley for the first time.

Shortly after lunch, they apparated and Harry found himself standing between a brick wall and the back of an old pub called the Leaky Cauldron. Remus tapped at a few bricks with his wand and then stood back as they rearranged themselves to form an archway. They walked through the archway and onto the the bustling cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley.

Harry looked all around, taking in the sight of all the shops and the witches and wizards milling about. It was a little overwhelming. Harry shifted a little closer to his guardians as they began moving forward. There were Aurors standing watch all around, watching for danger or suspicious activity. Harry had been told that the Aurors would be there, but it made him feel uncomfortable. Extra precautions were needed since Harry wasn't under the protection of the blood wards any longer. Harry felt a bit guilty for making things difficult for other people.

Remus guided Harry into Madam Malkins to buy robes while Minerva went to get Harry's books. A woman looked up when they entered, smiling kindly at them. "Another one for Hogwarts? I'll be with you in a moment," she said cheerfully. She returned to her customer, swishing her hand over a sleeve that was just a tad too long. The light blond hair was unmistakable and Harry grinned as the blond turned to glance toward the door.

"Harry!" Draco greeted brightly. "I hoped that I'd see you today."

"Hey Draco," Harry responded with a smile.

Draco waited for Madam Malkin to finish working and then quickly turned to his friend. His smile was bright and genuine, making Remus wonder how this child could possibly be related to Lucius Malfoy.

For a moment, Draco looked as if he was going to hug Harry, but he restrained himself. He had a reputation as a Malfoy to uphold after all. He nodded politely to Remus. "Hello Mr. Lupin," he said politely.

"Draco," Remus returned with a smile. "How are your parents?"

"Very well, thank you," Draco replied. "Mother should be back in a moment from getting my books and potion supplies. Are you excited?" he asked, looking back at Harry.

"Very," Harry replied, allowing Madam Malkin to pull him aside to be measured. Harry was happy about getting robes for school, but he also desperately wanted to visit with Draco while they had the chance. Draco's father was probably nearby, making it impossible for them to spend time together in the other shops.

Draco saw his mother approaching the shop so he removed his new robes and set them on the counter. Narcissa stepped in and paused when she saw Remus and Harry. She offered a very slight nod and then waited patiently for Madam Malkin to handle the purchase of the robes.

"Remus," Narcissa said with a little smile.

"Hello Narcissa," Remus replied. "Hard to believe that they're about to go to Hogwarts."

"Indeed," Narcissa agreed. "The last five years have flown by."

Madam Malkin took Narcissa's payment for Draco's robes before returning to finish measuring Harry. "Come Draco," Narcissa said. "Your father is waiting for us. Good day gentlemen," she added to Harry and Remus.

Draco waved to Harry with a wistful little smile before being led away. He wished that he could have stayed with Harry a bit longer, but they couldn't risk Lucius seeking them out. It wouldn't do for him to know that Draco and Harry had been good friends for all this time.

Once Harry was done with his fitting, they made their way to Ollivander's. Harry was most excited about buying his wand. The experience was a bit more unnerving than Harry had anticipated though. Garrick Ollivander had stared openly and made cryptic comments as he had Harry try wand after wand. The wand that chose Harry was made of Holly and contained a phoenix feather. And then Ollivander had informed them that Harry's wand had a "brother" so to speak. Of course it had been owned by Voldemort himself.

Harry was ushered away from the wand shop, feeling dazed and a little anxious. He'd been told a bit about Voldemort and the death of his parents. Remus hadn't wanted to frighten Harry too badly. Harry didn't feel afraid exactly, but sharing a wand core with Voldemort sounded like a bad sign.

Those thoughts were brushed away when Harry was presented with a white owl as a birthday present. It was a truly lovely creature and Harry loved her immediately. He hugged Minerva gratefully, delighted to have his own owl. The owl hooted placidly from inside her cage, watching Harry with big amber eyes.

Harry happily allowed Remus and Minerva to help him buy quills, pots of ink, parchment and more clothing items. Then they purchased supplies for potions. Excitement bubbled up inside Harry, and he couldn't stop smiling. Going to Hogwarts was going to be a great adventure.

Upon returning to his bedroom, Harry eagerly pulled out his new textbooks and began to read. In just a few weeks, he'd be going to Hogwarts and he wanted to be prepared.

When Remus came to call him to dinner, he found Harry sound asleep with his head in a Transfiguration text. His lips were curled into a smile. Remus shook his head fondly. It was going to be hard to watch Harry leave for school. But Remus couldn't wait to see just how brilliant Harry was going to be.


	5. Year One: Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response to the first 4 chapters was just amazing. I'm feeling super motivated now.   
> So, in case anyone is dying to know, we'll go through each school year with a few chapters dedicated to each school year. Fun, right?

Draco climbed onto the Hogwarts Express and found an empty compartment. He'd managed to escape the notice of Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle, but he hadn't seen Harry on the platform. He made himself comfortable near the entrance, his eye darting between the window and the aisle.

He smiled in relief when Harry headed down the aisle, looking quite nervous. His green eyes lit up when he spotted Draco waiting for him. Harry slipped into the compartment and sat down next to Draco.

"Finally," Draco laughed. "We'll get to see each other every day now. Have you thought about which house you want?"

"A little," Harry murmured. "But I don't know. Remus said there's good things about each house and that I'll end up where I'm meant to go."

"Slytherin is still the best," Draco insisted.

Harry rolled his eyes, but didn't argue. There was really no point in debating this topic with Draco.

A moment later, Ron appeared in the doorway. He smiled brightly at Harry, but the expression faded when he saw Draco. This was one thing that Ron hadn't been looking forward to. He knew that Harry was friends with the Malfoy heir. Which meant that, as Harry's other friend, Ron would have to tolerate Draco's presence a lot more often than he liked. So far, Draco and Ron had never really had to share Harry's attention. He was with one or the other, never both. The train ride to Hogwarts was going to change that.

"Hey Harry," Ron said, sitting down across from the other two boys. "Malfoy," he added grudgingly.

Draco pointedly ignored him.

Harry heaved a sigh of irritation. "I'm not doing this all year," he declared impatiently. "Learn to get along or I'll avoid both of you."

"I'm your best friend!" Draco cried indignantly.

"I'm his best friend," Ron snapped with a sneer.

"You're both ridiculous," Harry said loudly. "This is just stupid. I'm not going to sit here while you two fight over me. I'd like to enjoy our time at school and you too are going to ruin it."

Suitably chastised, Draco and Ron fell silent. They exchanged a look of sullen dislike and then looked away. Deciding that it was the best he could hope for at the moment, Harry relaxed in his seat.

Eventually, the excitement over their first train ride took over and the boys started talking again. Draco and Ron avoided making direct eye contact with one another, but they both managed to participate in the conversation without fighting. When the trolley witch came by, Draco and Harry bought a good number of sweets. Ron had declined a bit awkwardly. Harry knew that it was because the Weasleys really didn't have much money. But Harry had coaxed Ron into trying a few of the treats with him. Some were unfamiliar to Harry since Remus and Minerva weren't big on giving Harry such things. Draco had bought a few types of sweets that Harry hadn't, but had eagerly asked for Harry to try them out. He even offered the same treats to Ron, earning a pleased smile from Harry.

Suddenly, a girl with very bushy hair poked her head into the compartment. Draco flinched at the sight of her. Why in the world hadn't she done something to contain her wild hair before going out in public?

"Has anyone seen a toad?" she asked in a bossy sort of voice. "A boy named Neville has lost one."

"No," Ron responded in a tone of voice that suggested that he thought it was a ridiculous question. For once, Draco agreed. Who would want to look for a toad?

"We'll let you know if we see it," Harry said helpfully.

The girl nodded in approval and then her eyes widened in recognition. "You're Harry Potter!" she said excitedly. "I've read all about you. I'm Hermione Granger." She glanced at the other two boys expectantly. "And you are?"

"Ron Weasley," Ron replied, one of his cheeks bulging from taking a big bite out of a chocolate frog. Hermione wrinkled her nose in disgust before looking at Draco.

Draco didn't answer. He was too busy staring at Ron with horrified fascination. Harry nudged Draco with one elbow, drawing Draco's attention. Draco shot Ron a reproachful glance before looking back at Hermione. Her hair was nearly as frightening as Ron's manners. "Draco Malfoy," he said stiffly, swiftly looking away again.

"Hmmm... Pleasure," Hermione said dryly, grimacing as Ron shoved the rest of the chocolate frog into his mouth.

"God that's disgusting," Draco muttered.

"Well, you three had better get into your robes," Hermione said bossily. "I expect we'll be arriving soon." She left the compartment without another word.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. He'd been aware that he was famous in the wizarding world, but he hadn't needed to deal with it before. Remus was a very private person and Harry had been glad for it. They went shopping when they needed to, but they didn't really venture out much into public. The weeks trips to the park with Draco and the visits to the Weasley home were the bulk of Harry's social experiences. Remus had warned him that he'd likely get a lot of attention for his fame, and Harry immediately decided that he didn't care for it.

The three boys pulled on their school robes and impatiently waited for the train to stop. It seemed to take hours, but eventually they were allowed to leave the train. A giant of a man, with a long unkempt beard was calling for first years and guiding them toward a lake that held a bunch of little boats. After a brief boat ride, all of the first years were led into the castle entrance and left just outside the Great Hall. In a moment, they would be going into the Sorting Ceremony.

"There you are Draco," a girl with dark hair and a pug nose said, approaching Draco and tugging on his hand. "Where have you been?"

Draco withdrew his hand, resisting the urge to wipe it on his robes. "I met Harry Potter on the train," he said casually. He turned to Harry. "Potter, this is Pansy Parkinson. Behind her are Crabbe and Goyle," he added, gesturing to the two hulking figures that were watching him expectantly.

"Hello," Harry said awkwardly. He and Draco had agreed to pretend to have met on the train for the sake of appearances, but this was a bit weird.

Pansy eyed Harry up and down. "Your shorter than I expected," she said dismissively.

What a rude bint. "He's eleven, Pansy," Draco retorted with a roll of his eyes.

Before Pansy could make another comment, Professor McGonagall called them into the Great Hall. They walked between two of the long tables to gather in front of the Head Table where a stool had been placed. On top of the stool sat an old, worn out wizards hat. A jagged slit in the hat opened like a mouth and it began to sing, scaring the wits out of most of the first years.

Each first year student was called up, one at a time, to sit with the Sorting Hat on their head. It was honestly a relief to Harry. Ron had been muttering something about wrestling a troll.

Harry fidgeted nervously with each name that was called. He held his breath as Draco sat down and the hat was dropped over his blond hair. It was just a breath later that the hat shouted "Slytherin". Draco smirked and walked off toward the Slytherin table.

It was soon Harry's turn. He sat down and drew in a shaky breath as the hat was placed on his head. Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice inside his head. "Very difficult," the voice muttered. "You've got plenty of courage, loyalty... Not a bad mind either. There's talent and a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you?" the voice asked thoughtfully.

Harry had been wondering the same thing. He really had no idea where he belonged. He certainly hoped that the hat knew what it was doing.

"You could be great," the hat went on talking in Harry's head. "You've got quite a road ahead of you, and you'll need allies from all sides. So, better be... Slytherin!"

The hat shouted the name out for everyone in the hall to hear. There was a moment of stunned silence. And then a voice called out from the Slytherin table, "We got Potter!"

Clearly it wasn't what anyone had expected. Slytherin's reputation wasn't good. Minerva had thought that Harry would be in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. His parents had both been Gryffindors. But, the hat had decided, and there was nothing to be done. It didn't change who Harry was. Minerva was determined to be supportive. His house affiliation didn't matter to her so long as he was happy and healthy. And Draco would certainly stick by his side.

Harry met Professor McGonagall's gaze as she took the hat off of his head. She offered him an encouraging smile, patting him fondly on the shoulder before he walked toward the Slytherin table. His eyes scanned the table until he found the familiar head of blond hair. When Harry approached, Draco eagerly pulled him onto the bench.

Draco was delighted by this turn of events. He'd been really uncertain about Harry's sorting. Draco was so relieved. He'd been mentally preparing himself for the possibility that Harry would be a Gryffindor. That would have been a worst case scenario. Of course, it was possible for a Slytherin and Gryffindor to be friends, but it was difficult. The rivalry between the two houses was notoriously intense. He'd learned that much from his godfather. More than that, Draco would have been left with no real friends within his own house. Crabbe and Goyle behaved more like body guards or henchmen than anything. And Pansy... She was so annoying. There wasn't a single person that Draco would consider a real friend. But, now Draco would have Harry with him.

Harry was glad to be in the same house as Draco. But, he felt a little guilty when he watched Ron get sorted into Gryffindor. Ron was a great friend. Harry really hoped that house rivalry wouldn't destroy their friendship.

As the food appeared on the table, Harry and Draco helped themselves to the foods that they wanted. Draco watched as Harry ate slowly. "Are you disappointed?" Draco asked.

Harry hesitated. "Not exactly," he said carefully. He sighed at the hurt that flashed on Draco's face. "I'm glad to be with you. But, Slytherin does have a bad reputation. And Ron's now my rival. What if he doesn't want to be friends anymore?" He poked at his chicken morosely. "If I'd been in Gryffindor though, I might have lost you as a friend."

Draco scowled at that. "We are best friends," he snapped, gesturing between them. "You being sorted with the Gryffindorks wouldn't change that."

Harry smiled. He'd never know if that was true or not, but it wouldn't do any good to speculate. He was grateful for Draco's friendship. But Harry didn't want to lose Ron either.

"Don't worry so much Harry," Draco said quietly. "You'll have lots of friends here. Just remember that I'm the best," he added smugly.

"How could I forget?" Harry laughed. "You're always reminding me."

"Very funny," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

Across from them, a black boy was looking Harry over. "Hello Potter," he said simply.

Harry hesitated, but returned the greeting politely. He would have to socialize with his other housemates eventually, regardless of how nervous they made him.

"I'm Blaise Zabini," the boy went on. He glanced at Draco and smirked. "Courting favor with famous Harry Potter already, Malfoy?"

Draco bristled. "We met on the train," he retorted. "We got to know one another a bit."

"I see," Blaise nodded. "And Potter, what do you think of Malfoy?"

"He's quite witty," Harry responded, nudging Draco's knee under the table. He tilted his head to one side, eyeing Blaise speculatively. "Not sure what I think of you though."

Blaise grinned suddenly. "Fair enough," he said. "We've got seven years together, so we've got time."

Draco ate while Blaise talked with Harry. He'd been told that in Slytherin it would be wise to gather allies early on. Draco didn't know Blaise very well, but perhaps he would be alright. He was being kind to Harry, and Draco really wanted Harry to be happy in Slytherin.

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were brutes. But they might be useful. The defeater of the Dark Lord might not be so welcome, so protection would be necessary.

"Don't look now Potter," Blaise said, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Malfoy is already plotting."

Draco gave him a withering look. "Shut up," he drawled.

"So hostile," Blaise gasped theatrically. "I was proposing an alliance with Potter here. He calls it 'friendship', or whatever," he added with a dismissive wave of his hand. Harry rolled his eyes but looked amused. "What do you think Malfoy? Can't let this one get roped in with the wrong sort," he added quietly, his eyes darting toward the other Slytherins.

Draco nodded sharply, his stomach clenching uncomfortably. It seemed that Blaise had come to a similar conclusion; Harry would need to be protected. Draco couldn't be sure of Blaise's motives but, he'd keep an eye on it.

Harry looked toward the staff table, his eyes sweeping over the teachers for recognizable faces. He was pleased to find that he was familiar with most of them since he visited Hogwarts for a few days of the summer with Minerva. His gaze lingered on Professor Snape for a moment. He really hoped that Snape didn't hate him. Of all the teachers, Snape was definitely the most frightening.

Next to Snape was someone that Harry didn't know. It was a nervous looking man wearing a turban. He was talking to Snape, his hands fidgeting restlessly. Harry felt rather sorry for him.

"Who is that talking to Professor Snape?" Harry asked to nobody in particular.

One of the older Slytherin girls nearby glanced toward the staff table. "Professor Quirrell," she responded. "He teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"That's the bloke teaching Defense?" Draco asked incredulously. "He looks terrified."

As Harry watched Quirrell's nervous fidgeting, the scar on his forehead suddenly began to feel like it was burning. He hissed in pain and pressed his palm to his forehead.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, his voice full of concern.

Harry pulled his hand away, half expecting to find blood. Harry shook his head, relieved to find the pain already receding. "It's nothing. I'm fine," he said tensely.

Draco frowned at him but chose not to push the issue at the moment. He glanced up to see Snape looking at them thoughtfully. Perhaps he had noticed Harry's strange episode as well. After a moment, Snape returned to his conversation with Quirrell, but he kept casting odd looks back to Harry.

As dinner came to an end, the school prefects led the first years to their common rooms. Harry walked between Draco and Blaise while Crabbe and Goyle followed closely behind. In fact, they were so close that Harry could feel Goyle's breath on his neck.

Luckily, Draco noticed. "Goyle, unless you're planning to climb onto Potter's back, I suggest you back up a bit," he commanded in a bored time.

Goyle slowed his pace a bit, putting a bit more space between himself and Harry. Harry shot Draco a grateful look while Blaise coughed to hide a laugh.

The common room was warm despite it's cool appearance. A massive window seperated them from the water of the Black Lake. Harry could see a few ominous dark shapes in the water but, as night had fallen, he wasn't likely to identify what they were. The decor was mostly green and silver against the stone walls.

Draco and Harry walked up the stairs to the dormitory they'd be sharing with the other first year boys. The bedding and curtains were in dark green with silver accents. Harry wondered briefly if he was going to grow tired of the color green very quickly. He found the bed that his trunk rested next to and gladly sat down on the duvet, trailing his fingers lightly over the fabric.

Draco sprawled out across his own bed which was the closest to Harry's. "It's not as big as my bed at home, but it's fine," Draco said, rolling onto his side to look at Harry. "Are you alright?"

Harry sighed. "I'm just hoping the Slytherins don't hate me," he admitted. "I'm sure the hat knew what it was doing, but..."

"It'll be fine," Blaise assured him calmly. "You just need to understand how Slytherin works. You've got Malfoy and me for that. Besides, your fame may work to your advantage," he added with a little shrug.

"I don't want to be famous," Harry replied softly. "Everybody knows about me because of something that happened the night my parents were killed. Why would I want that?"

Draco stared at Harry for a moment. They'd never discussed this topic before and it had never occurred to him that Harry could be resistant to his own fame. He rolled into his stomach, propping himself up on his forearms. "I never considered that," Draco admitted. "I doubt anyone else would see it that way."

"But, that doesn't mean you can't be yourself," Blaise said sensibly. "If you want to be seen for who you are instead of... you know... We can help you with that. It might take some time though."

Harry smiled reluctantly. "Thanks," he murmured, glancing between Draco and Blaise.

They let the topic rest for the moment as the other first year boys walked into the room. Soon, they were all climbing into their beds and drifting off to sleep.

HP~HP~HP

Harry was very happy to see Ron the next morning. They hadn't spoken at all since the sorting. Harry's smile faded when Ron seemed reluctant to talk to him.

Ron was standing just outside the Great Hall with a group of Gryffindor boys. They eyed Harry and Draco warily and it irritated Draco.

"I'll- I'll see you later," Ron said, moving away from Harry before Harry could speak.

Draco wasn't having that. "Not before you and I have a chat," Draco snapped.

Ron glared along with the other Gryffindors. "What do you want?" he hissed.

Draco stepped right in front of Ron, his expression determined. "It's still Harry," Draco said, keeping his voice low. "For some bizarre reason, he wants you as his friend. I don't like you Weasley, but I'll over look it for Harry. He needs allies... friends. The color of his robes doesn't change who he was when we sat together on the train. Don't be an arse," he added with a sneer. "Otherwise, you may as well admit that I was the better friend all along."

Ron took the bait. "Sod off Malfoy," Ron growled. He looked past the blond to see Harry looking dejected and tired. "Harry, you need to meet my new friends," he declared. "Seamus, Dean and Neville," he said, pointing out each of the boys.

"Hey," Harry responded with an awkward little wave. "That's Draco and this is Blaise."

Blaise was staring at the Gryffindors as if he found them rather fascinating. Draco offered a brisk nod, feeling that he'd quite proven himself already just by addressing the Weasley ruffian in public.

"Maybe we could hang out later," the boy called Dean suggested. "It looks like it might be a nice day."

Harry smiled, causing Draco to refrain from rejecting the idea. After a moment, they went to their house tables with Ron giving Harry a friendly pat on the back.

"Feel better?" Blaise asked, glancing at Harry's relieved grin.

"I do," Harry confirmed. He turned to Draco as they sat down. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Potter," Draco said with a dignified little sniff, but then he offered Harry a smile. "Someone has to look out for you."

"So, we're going to be friendly with Gryffindors?" Blaise asked uncertainly.

"It won't hurt you to try," Harry said reasonably. He piled toast, eggs and bacon onto his plate, suddenly very hungry. He hadn't had much of an appetite while he was concerned about Ron's reaction to his sorting.

Blaise pursed his lips, shooting a doubtful look at Draco. Draco merely shrugged and started on his own breakfast.

Snape was making his way around the table passing out schedules to the Slytherins. He paused by Harry and Draco, handing them their schedules. "I hadn't expected you to be joining my house, Mr. Potter," he said.

"I was a little surprised myself," Harry admitted. "But it's alright."

"I have high expectations for my students," Snape went on.

"Yes, sir. I'll do my best," Harry responded politely. Snape nodded and contined on down the table.

"He didn't stop for a chat with anyone else," Blaise noted.

"I think he was put up to it," Harry said, looking up to see Professor McGonagall's gaze on him. He gave her a nod and a little smile. She returned the gesture before moving to distribute schedules at the Gryffindor table.

"What?" Blaise asked.

"Harry was raised by McGonagall since right before his sixth birthday," Draco explained.

"We're pretty close," Harry added, smiling fondly. "I met professor Snape the first summer I was with her. Every summer came here for a few days, so I've met most of the professors. Professor Snape never really liked me."

"But being in Slytherin might help with that," Draco suggested. "You're one of us. Of course, he's still a grumpy git with me, and I'm his godson."

"He sounds delightful," Blaise snorted. Harry and Draco grinned in response.


	6. Year One: Part Two

Harry was enjoying going to classes. Draco was in all of his classes but Ron only shared Potions class with them. It was a shame. They could have used the extra company in History of Magic. That class was painfully dull with Professor Binns, the only ghost teacher, droning on and on.

Harry had been nervous about Potions class. Snape was intimidating and strict. He was rumored to favor his Slytherins, but Harry doubted that even the Slytherins would get away with much.

For their first potions class, they'd worked on a very simple potion for curing boils. Harry was paired with Draco and was pleased to find that the blond was decent at potions already. Even better, he kept Harry from making any big mistakes. Some of the others weren't so lucky.

Neville managed to melt the cauldron that he and Ron had been using. Seamus set fire to his and Dean's work table. Crabbe and Goyle's potion belched out copious amounts to black smoke.

Hermione Granger and Parvati's potion had been perfect, but Snape had merely deemed it "acceptable" before sweeping away. Draco eyed their potion with a disgruntled sigh. "I know I could have beaten them," he grumbled.

"Sorry," Harry muttered sheepishly.

Draco sighed softly and then smiled at Harry. "Don't worry about it," Draco said. "I'll work with you so you get better at this."

Overall, the class hadn't been as much of a nightmare as Harry anticipated. Snape had snapped at Harry only once for talking, while completely ignoring the fact that Draco had been talking as well.

After lunch, Harry was going to visit Hagrid. He's received an invite for tea and Harry was looking forward to seeing his friend. He'd loved visiting Hagrid when Minerva brought him to the castle during the summer. Minerva seemed reluctant to let Hagrid supervise Harry on his own, but she'd allowed it.

Draco wasn't especially interested in Hagrid, but had accepted Harry's invitation to tag along. He was a little annoyed when Ron was asked to join as well.

Draco hadn't realized how very large Hagrid was. He had to be half giant. And that wild hair! He looked feral. But Hagrid smiled so brightly when Harry greeted him and introduced his friends. Draco sighed inwardly. He was already associating with Weasley, however reluctantly. What would his father think of him socializing with a half-breed groundskeeper?

Despite Draco's reservations, he found Hagrid to be a decent enough fellow. So, he quietly sipped at the tea Hagrid offered while Harry and Ron chatted to the half-giant. Draco's gaze drifted to the table where he saw a newspaper clipping that was partially hidden under a rock cake. He picked up the paper and looked it over, frowning.

"Whatcha got there?" Hagrid asked him.

"Just part of a newspaper," Draco muttered. Then he paused thoughtfully. "They still haven't found the person responsible for the break in at Gringotts?" he asked.

Harry remembered hearing about that. It had happened on his birthday. Luckily the vault had been emptied earlier that day and so nothing had been taken. Still, Gringotts had never been broken into before.

"I wonder what they were after," Harry mused.

"Must have been pretty good to do something so mad," Ron commented. "I hear there's a dragon guarding some of the vaults."

Draco nodded his agreement, though he noted that Hagrid had gone quiet and was no longer looking directly at any of them. Harry caught his eyes and then glanced back at Hagrid curiously.

Shortly after that, the three boys were dismissed with a promise to have them back over for tea. Hagrid had looked a little uncomfortable as he waved them off though.

"That was weird," Ron muttered, glancing back at Hagrid's hut as they made their way back to the castle.

"I think he's hiding something," Draco said bluntly.

"You're just being a prat," Ron snapped defensively.

"Stop," Harry snapped, before Draco could retort. "I thought Hagrid was acting a bit odd too. But let's not accuse him of anything just yet. He's my friend."

"I was only showing my concern," Draco grumbled, giving Ron a resentful look.

Harry sighed and shook his head. Then he had an idea. "Want to see my animagus form?" he asked Draco excitedly.

Draco grinned, eagerly turning his gaze to Harry. He knew that Harry could transform, but he'd not been able to watch. Honestly, he'd forgotten about in the excitement of their first week of school. The fact that Ron had seen it was infuriating.

Harry glanced around briefly before transforming. His cat form was still small but he'd definitely gotten bigger. His fur was long, full and soft. He looked up at Draco expectantly, fuzzy ears flicking as the wind brushed over them.

"Oh you're gorgeous," Draco crooned, reaching down and scooping the cat up. He laughed in delight as Harry began to purr. "This is brilliant," he said, his fingers stroking over the fur. He turned to Ron. "We have to pick out a name for him."

"He's got a name," Ron retorted, looking unimpressed.

"Don't be daft," Draco sniffed haughtily. "Harry is fine for a human, but we need a different name for the cat."

"Mental," Ron huffed under his breath.

Draco set Harry back down and watched as the cat stilled and then pounced on something hidden in the grass. "I could call you Salazar," Draco mused.

"Like Salazar Slytherin?" Ron scoffed. "Not likely."

"Harry's in Slytherin," Draco snapped.

"But I'm helping with his name," Ron objected. "You don't here me suggesting Godric."

Draco wrinkled his nose. "Point taken. House neutral then?" he suggested.

Ron nodded his agreement and Harry stretched out in the grass to watch them. This was the most conversation that Ron and Draco had managed on their own.

"Merlin?" Ron suggested with a little shrug. He glanced at the cat and shook his head. "No, that's not right either."

"Maybe we should give it some thought," Draco said, kneeling and reaching out to scratch lightly at the cat's furry belly when he rolled over. "We'll each come up with a few names and pick the best one."

Ron nodded in acceptance and then looked up to see Blaise approaching them.

"What on earth are you doing?" Blaise demanded. "It's nearly time for dinner. And where's Po- Harry?"

A loud meow was the response.

Blaise blinked in surprise at the cat and then looked between Ron and Draco. "Is- Is that Harry?" he asked incredulously.

"He's an animagus," Draco laughed, stroking the dark fur gently. "He's registered and everything."

"He's eleven!" Blaise yelped, completely shocked.

"And one of his guardians is an animagus," Ron explained. "Plus Dumbledore loves Harry. He got lots of training and they helped him through the whole thing."

Harry returned to his human form and stretched languidly. "It's not difficult exactly," he told Blaise. "It's more time consuming and annoying. Holding a Mandrake leaf in your mouth for a month is awful. Everything else is about timing and focus. And pronouncing the incantation correctly," he added.

Blaise just stared at him for a moment and then shook his head. "I knew you'd be a weird one," he said. "Come on then. It's time for dinner."

They started off toward the castle together, enjoying a breeze that swept over them. "I didn't know you liked cats," Harry told Draco.

"It's not cats specifically," Draco said quietly. "Father would never let me have a pet. I always wanted one."

Blaise grinned. "Now you have a cat. Sort of. Happy birthday."

Ron and Harry snorted with laughter.

Draco rolled his eyes. "So stupid," he muttered, shaking his head.

HP~HP~HP

The next week they got the chance to practice flying. Draco and Ron seemed to be trying to out brag one another on their flying abilities. It was one thing that Harry had never done, and he was quite looking forward to it. Slytherin and Gryffindor would be learning at the same time.

As Madam Hooch called out instructions, Harry listened intently. Unfortunately, Neville had kicked off the ground in a fit of nerves. His broom rose higher and higher as Madam Hooch shouted at him to come back down. Neville wobbled dangerously and slid off the broom, landing on the ground hard.

Harry watched as Neville was led away by Madam Hooch. They rest of the students were given strict instructions to stay on the ground while she was gone.

Draco bent down and picked up a round object from the grass. He turned it over in his hand with a frown. "It's a Remembrall," he said, glancing at Harry. "Longbottom must have dropped it."

Pansy reached over and plucked the orb out of Draco's hand. "Did you see that fat lump's face?" she cackled unkindly. The other Slytherins laughed while Draco snatched the Remembrall back.

"Very classy," Draco said sarcastically, smirking when Pansy scowled at him.

"Defending Gryffindors now Draco?" Pansy sneered.

"Stop being such an arse Pansy," Blaise snapped, nudging Draco aside. "There's no point in arguing with that silly bint," Blaise told Draco quietly.

"I wasn't going to argue," Draco retorted. "I have dignity."

Blaise resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

They were able to resume their broom training when Madam Hooch returned. But this time, Professor Snape had come along to observe. Soon, everyone was on a broom in the air.

Harry loved it. He instinctively knew how to maneuver the broom, guiding it in wide circles around his class mates. He and Draco got caught up in a game of catch with the Remembrall. When one of Draco's throws went over Harry's head, Harry took off after it. He went into a dive and snatched up the sphere before pulling up to prevent himself from crashing.

He landed neatly before rolling onto his back and staring up at the clouds, wearing a silly smile. A moment later, Draco and Snape were looking down at him. Draco was beaming, but Snape looked thoughtful. "I love flying," Harry said, unable to stop grinning.

"You nutter," Draco laughed.

"Do you like Quidditch Potter?" Snape asked.

"I guess," Harry said with a little shrug. "I've never played, but Moony took me to a match once."

Snape nodded, still eyeing Harry. "I want you to try out for the Seeker position," he said stiffly.

"You're joking," Draco gasped. He grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him to his feet. "First years never make the team."

"It's not against the rules," Snape responded dismissively. "First years simply aren't likely to out perform older students in tryouts."

Draco looked excited. "You've got to Harry," he insisted eagerly. "You'd be the youngest Seeker in... probably a century."

"Alright," Harry agreed, offering Snape a tentative smile.

"Tryouts start tomorrow Potter," Snape said, moving away to speak to Madam Hooch.

Tryouts were nerve-racking for Harry. But, Snape had attended to be sure that the older Slytherins didn't brush him off. He wasn't particularly fond of the boy, but he'd learned tolerance. Honestly, his only real objection to Harry Potter was his father. But Harry's personality was much more like Lily's.

It would be a bit stupid to ignore the talent that Harry displayed on a broom. Snape knew from speaking to Minerva that Harry had never flown before. The boy had managed a catch that much older students wouldn't attempt.

In the end, Harry was welcomed to the team with enthusiasm. The other teams' Seekers were going to have a difficult time keeping up.

HP~HP~HP

Harry pressed his back against the cool wall, panting heavily. Draco was leaning against him, gasping for breath. Ron was taking deep breaths and glaring at Hermione who was clutching at a stitch in her side.

Ron had gotten into a heated argument with Theo Nott and brashly agreed to a duel. The fact that he didn't really know any spells for dueling didn't enter his mind until after he'd accepted the challenge. Harry had been chosen as his second, and Draco had insisted on going with Harry.

Hermione had caught Ron sneaking out of the Gryffindor common room after curfew and followed him out to lecture him, only to end up locked out. The fat lady that guarded the common room had wandered off to another painting.

Instead of finding Nott, they found that Filch had been alerted to students out of bed. The caretaker and his cat were searching the trophy room when the group arrived for the duel, and had given chase when the students ran away.

"I hear him," Draco hissed, catching the sound of hurried footsteps on the stone floors.

"Run," Harry urged, leading the way up the nearest stairs. He turned right and seized the door handle of a large door, pulling hard. The door didn't budge.

"We're done for," Ron groaned, glancing around. They'd never find a hiding place before Filch got to them.

Hermione snatched Harry's wand and tapped the handle with it. "Alohamora," she said quietly.

There was a soft click and they pushed through the door hastily, slamming it behind them. Harry pressed his ear to the door, trying to quiet his breathing so he could listen for Filch.

"Isn't this the third floor?" Hermione panted.

Draco's eyes widened and he turned around. He remembered Dumbledore mentioning the third floor corridor during the welcome feast, but he hadn't paid much attention to it. He gasped in horror at the sight before him and backed up toward the door. "Oh Merlin," he choked out.

Harry turned and saw an enormous black dog with three heads. It was snarling, displaying disturbingly large, pointed teeth.

The four students cried out in alarm as the dog lunged toward them. The door was yanked back open and they ran out, slamming the door behind them. Filch was nowhere to be seen.

Badly shaken, they hurried away. "What are they doing keeping a thing like that in a school?" Ron hissed.

Hermione shot him a scathing look. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?" she asked impatiently.

"I wasn't looking at his feet," Ron snapped. "Didn't you notice he had three heads?"

"He was standing on a trapdoor," Hermione said. "It's guarding something."

"Guarding something?" Harry asked, frowning thoughtfully.

"That's right," Hermione confirmed huffily. "Now, I'm going to bed before you three get us killed- or worse, expelled." She marched away toward Gryffindor tower with her nose in the air.

"She needs to sort out her priorities," Ron commented, shaking his head. He gave a quick wave and followed reluctantly after Hermione.

"Granger's a lunatic," Draco decided, looping his arm through Harry's and pulling him along toward the dungeons.

HP~HP~HP

Theo Nott seemed a little surprised that Harry and Ron hadn't got caught by Filch. Of course, he regretted his underhanded move when Draco spent nearly an hour ranting and complaining about it. The Malfoy scion had a powerful family, and it wouldn't be wise to get on the wrong side of them in first year. Theo had clearly underestimated the friendship between Harry and Draco.

Harry didn't bother getting angry with Theo. It was rather hilarious to see Draco get all worked up about the incident. Theo had backed away slowly as Draco snarled his displeasure. Even funnier was when he lapsed into an exhausted sort of pout while Vincent and Greg chased Theo away.

Harry was able to coax Draco out of his sulk and they went to class like nothing had happened. Neither could forget what had happened though. What could the dog be guarding?

Hermione mostly avoided them. When she did make eye contact, it was too frown disapprovingly. As if they cared what she thought.

After class one day, Ron met Harry, Draco and Blaise in the hall. The red head looked rather irritable.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Hermione," Ron growled. "I can't stand her."

"What happened?" Draco asked as they continued on their way down the hall. He was looking forward to enjoying the crisp autumn air. Weasley could complain outside if he needed to.

Ron launched into a description of the Charms lesson he'd just had. Hermione had corrected everything he did and nagged him relentlessly about proper pronunciation. "She's a nightmare," Ron insisted. "It's no wonder she doesn't have any friends."

Harry stumbled a little as someone knocked against his shoulder as they passed. A quick glance confirmed that it was Hermione and that their were tears on her face.

"I think she heard you," Blaise said.

"Well-" Ron cut himself off, looking a little uncomfortable. "Did you lot finish the potions essay?" he asked, eager to change the subject.

It was shortly before dinner that they overheard some of the Gryffindor girls talking about Hermione. Apparently, she'd been in the girl's bathroom crying all afternoon. Ron looked rather guilty but didn't comment.

Dinner was interrupted as Quirrell suddenly burst through the doors of the Great Hall. He was screaming about a troll in the dungeon before he passed out.

Chaos erupted but Dumbledore called out in a thunderous voice, silencing the panicked students. Prefects began leading their houses back to the common rooms while the teachers went after the troll.

"The Slytherin common room is in the dungeon with the troll," Harry said apprehensively.

"I'm sure the prefects know a way to get there safely," Blaise said, though he was rather tense.

They followed the others out of the Great Hall, walking a little closer together than they usually would. And then Harry stopped and grabbed Draco's arm. "Hermione," he said anxiously. "She doesn't know."

Draco groaned but allowed himself to be led away. Blaise hesitated, but followed them. They bumped into Ron, who had the same realization. "We'll just warn her and then go back to our dorms," Ron said, wringing his hands.

Their plan was abruptly changed when an awful smell hit their noses. A moment later, they heard the thud of the troll's feet as he lumbered down the hall and through a doorway. The four boys raced to the door and closed it.

"Did we just capture a troll?" Blaise asked breathlessly.

Before they could be pleased with themselves, they heard a terrified scream.

"Crap," Draco groaned.

"We shut it in there with Hermione," Harry yelped, yanking the door open. They ran into the bathroom, and gasped.

Hermione was standing with her back against the far wall, her terrified gaze locked on the troll. Ron shouted, getting the troll's attention. It swung its heavy club angrily, destroying one of the bathroom stalls. Harry darted around the troll to get to Hermione, but she was too frozen with fear to move.

Draco, Blaise and Ron had begun chucking pieces of the ruined stall at the trolls face. It howled in rage when Draco hit it in the eye with a rock. When it started toward them, Harry ran and jumped onto its back, shoving his wand up its nose. That was one way to get the troll's attention.

"Are you insane?!" Draco screeched hysterically.

"Just do something," Harry shouted, clinging to the troll as it swung its club wildly.

Ron pulled out his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he cried. The club slipped from the troll's grip to levitate over the troll's head. Ron released the spell and the club fell with a heavy thud.

Harry leapt back as the troll collapsed. He looked around and saw that his friends were shaken but unharmed.

McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell rushed into the room just as Draco rounded on Harry looking furious. "What were you thinking?" Draco demanded. "No, don't bothering answering. You clearly weren't thinking at all. That troll could have killed you, you moron."

Harry found himself backed into a wall as Draco closed in on him. "Don't you ever scare me like that again Harry Potter," Draco commanded, his eyes suddenly wet. "I'll never forgive you."

And then they were hugging tightly, unsure which of them had initiated it. Harry sighed softly and patted Draco's back, while Draco kept up a steady stream of mumbled insults and threats. Blaise rolled his eyes.

"Explain yourselves," McGonagall said finally, scowling at the wayward students.

"It's my fault," Hermione spoke up, finally moving away from the wall.

"It's not anyone's fault," Blaise said, giving Hermione an impatient look. "Granger didn't know about the troll because she wasn't at dinner. We wanted to warn her, but the troll got in here with her."

"If they hadn't found me, I'd probably be dead," Hermione added, her voice shaking.

"Not many first years could take on a mountain troll and live to tell about it," McGonagall said, eyeing the troll. "Five points will be awarded for each of you boys. For sheer dumb luck," she added with a little shake off her head.

Harry sighed in relief, glad that they weren't going to be punished. His gaze caught on Snape, noticing that the surly professor's trousers were torn and his leg was bloody. Unfortunately, Snape caught him looking and shifted his robes to hide the injured leg.

"Go straight to your common rooms," Snape commanded. He turned and sneered at Quirrell before walking out.

The students shuffled past the troll and into the hallway, eager to be away from the stench. Professor McGonagall paused to hug Harry tightly before turning to deal with the unconscious troll. Harry returned the embrace gladly.

Just before they parted ways, Hermione looked around at the four boys. Thank you," she said softly.

They boys nodded to her. "See you tomorrow Hermione," Harry said with a little wave.

Ron nodded to the three Slytherins before walking Hermione to Gryffindor tower.

"Rescuing damsels in distress," Blaise chuckled as they made their way to the Slytherin common room. "Not very Slytherin at all."

"We won't be making a habit of it," Draco said sharply, giving Harry a stern look.

"I can't ignore it if someone needs help," Harry argued.

"You can think it through and not jump onto the back of a troll," Draco snapped.

"I'm sorry Draco," Harry blurted out. "It's not like I can go back and do it differently. I'll try to be more careful."

Draco didn't say anything in response, though he relaxed a little. When they got to the common room, the other students asked a lot of questions. Blaise stayed behind to explain what happened while Harry and Draco went on to their dorm room.

They didn't speak as they got ready for bed. Harry knew that Draco was worried and probably embarrassed about his surpringly emotional response in the bathroom. It was wonderful that Draco cared about him so much.

Harry climbed into bed and turned so that he was facing Draco's bed. Draco was curled up facing Harry. "Sorry I made you worry," Harry said sincerely.

Draco smiled slightly. "Good night Harry," he murmured, finally relaxing.

Harry went to sleep with a smile on his lips.

HP~HP~HP

Draco was a bit horrified to find that some people thought that saving someone from a troll made them your friend. Hermione was now often tagging along whenever Ron spent time around Harry. Which meant that Draco kept finding himself in the company of the red head and the know-it-all muggleborn that had the audacity to get better grades than himself. Her grades weren't much higher than his, but it still annoyed him. His father would be furious to learn that a muggleborn was getting better grades.

Draco's brooding was interupted when Harry nudged him with his elbow. They were studying in the library with Blaise, Ron and Hermione. "I've just thought of something," Harry said quietly. He'd just seen Snape leave the library, limping slightly. "I think Professor Snape tried to get past that three headed dog."

Draco frowned. "Why would he do that?" he asked.

"To get at whatever it's guarding," Ron suggested.

Hermione bit her lip, brushing her quill against her chin absently as she thought.

"I can't think of a single thing that would be worth facing a giant three headed dog," Blaise said quietly.

Draco nodded his agreement and then remembered something. "What about the Gringotts robbery?" he asked. "Nothing was stolen because the vault had been cleared out. And Hagrid acted a bit oddly when we talked about it."

"So that might be the thing that the dog is guarding," Hermione murmured. "But why would Professor Snape try to get it?"

"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation," Draco said, not liking the accusation against his godfather. "We need more information."

"So let's talk to Hagrid after the Quidditch match," Ron suggested.

Harry groaned but agreed. The next morning would be Harry's first Quidditch match. His friends were much more excited about it than he was.


	7. Year One: Part Three

Harry swallowed hard as he followed the rest of the Slytherin team onto the Quidditch pitch. They were playing against Gryffindor. Harry was a little afraid that he would through up before he could get him broom in the air.

"Just relax Potter," said the Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Captain. "You've been brilliant in practice. Our beaters will keep the bludgers away from you. Just concentrate on the snitch."

Harry nodded mutely. When Madam Hooch blew her whistle, Harry took off. The wind against his face soothed his frayed nerves as the broom few higher.

Draco watched Harry circle the pitch from high in the air. The rest of the Slytherin team was playing ruthlessly. If they didn't at least try to be subtle with their cheating, they'd be penalized. The Gryffindor team was quite good, but Draco doubted that their Seeker would do them any good against Harry.

"Something isn't right," Blaise said, squinting up at Harry.

Draco's eyes darted back to Harry. His best friend was clinging to his broom as it shuddered and bucked. Draco stood up, fear clogging his throat.

The broom unseated Harry and he ended up hanging from it by one arm. Draco eyes scanned the ground. Was someone preparing to catch Harry when he fell? A commotion from the stands on the opposite side of the pitch drew his attention, but he couldn't tell what was happening.

"Look!" Blaise shouted, pointing at Harry. He had swung himself back onto the broom and was flying normally.

Draco heaved a sigh of relief only to gasp again when Harry went into a dive. He had one hand out stretched, reaching for the snitch. But he got a bit too close to the ground and tumbled onto the grass. Then Harry sat up and spit the snitch into his hands.

The Slytherins cheered as their team landed to congratulate their seeker. Draco and Blaise hurried down from the stands to meet Harry.

HP~HP~HP

Once Harry had changed out of his Quidditch gear, he walked with Draco and Blaise to Hagrid's hut. They found Ron and Hermione already there, arguing with Hagrid.

"I know a jinx when I see one," Hermione was insisting. "You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking."

"Professor Snape made my broom nearly throw me off?" Harry asked.

"That's ridiculous," Draco snapped.

Hermione scowled. "Well then, it's amazing the way Harry regained control as soon as I set Snape's robes on fire," she said sarcastically.

"You set him on fire?" Draco yelped.

"Just his robes," Hermione replied with a dismissive wave. "It was just a distraction. I didn't injure him."

"You're completely mental," Blaise said, staring at Hermione in awe.

"Why would Professor Snape try to hurt Harry?" Hagrid asked, exasperated.

"Why did he try to get past that three headed dog?" Ron countered.

"Who told you about Fluffy?"

"Fluffy," Blaise echoed, looking horrified by the name.

"That monster has a name?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Of course, he's mine," Hagrid responded. "I loaned him to Dumbledore to guard the... Er- No more questions," he said, looking panicked.

"But-"

"No," Hagrid said firmly. "You're meddling in things that ought not be meddled in. What that dog is guarding is between Dumbledore and Nicholas Flammel." He groaned when Harry's face lit up. "Go on now," he said, waving the students away.

"Who's Nicholas Flamel?" Harry immediately asked Hermione. If anyone would know, surely it would be the one that always seems to be reading.

"I don't know," Hermione replied, looking thoughtful.

"I know that name," Draco muttered. "How do I know that name?" Blaise just shrugged.

"We'll just have to do some research then," Hermione said brightly. No doubt she enjoyed the idea of combing through the school's library. The boys were less enthusiastic.

HP~HP~HP

The Christmas holiday was wonderful for Harry. He'd been delighted to leave school and spend time with Remus.

He could still remember the last Christmas he'd spent with the Dursleys. He'd mostly been ignored and had received a pair of old socks as a present. That memory only served to make him even more grateful for his unorthodox family.

Remus was attentive to Harry and thrilled to spend time with him. Minerva even spent most of the holiday at home with them. They talked and laughed together. They made biscuits and hot chocolate. Remus told wild stories about the mauraders and their ridiculous pranks at school while Minerva shook her head fondly.

Since Harry was on the Slytherin Quidditch team, Minerva had been allowed to bend the rules a bit. So, Harry was given a Nimbus Two Thousand as a gift. He was so excited. Draco was going to be rather jealous, but perhaps he wouldn't be difficult when Harry allowed him to try it out.

The day before returning to school, Harry received one extra gift. It was sitting on his bed when he went to change into his bed clothes. He'd unwrapped it as Remus stepped into the room.

Remus had stared in shock at the slippery fabric as Harry ran his hands over it. Remus had them explained that it was an invisibility cloak that had belonged to James Potter.

Harry returned to school and decided that he wanted to try the cloak on his own the first time. So, he didn't mention it to his friends right away.

But on the next night, he couldn't resist dragging Draco out with him. It was a relief when Draco followed him to the common room without any resistance.

"Are you going to show me what you've been so worked up about?" Draco asked, smothering a yawn with his hand.

"Look," Harry said, holding his new cloak up.

Draco suddenly looked much more awake. "An invisibility cloak," he whispered reverently, stroking the fabric. "This is brilliant."

"I tried it out last night," Harry explained. "I found a mirror and saw my parents in it. I want you to see."

Draco eagerly agreed to go, but refused to wander the castle in bed clothes. Once they were dressed, he ducked under the cloak and pressed close to Harry's side as they slipped out of the common room.

It took Harry quite a while to find the room that he'd stumbled upon the night before. But eventually he found it and eagerly removed the cloak to step in front of the mirror.

In the glass, he could see himself standing between a lovely woman with vibrant red hair, and a man that had dark, untidy hair and glasses. Just behind them, he could see Monny and Minnie. "That's my mum and dad," Harry said pointing at the mirror.

"I only see you Harry," Draco said carefully.

"Come look properly," Harry said, waving Draco over. He stepped to one side and guided Draco to stand directly in from of the mirror.

Draco's eyes widened. He didn't see Harry's parents. He saw his own parents, smiling and looking proudly at a grown up version of Draco. Next to Draco was Harry. He looked older as well and his fingers were interlaced with Draco's.

"Draco?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"I don't see your parents Harry," Draco said softly, unable to tear his gaze away from the mirror. "Could- Could this mirror show the future?" he asked, before immediately regretting the stupidity of the question.

"It's getting late boys."

Harry and Draco gasped and turned around to see Albus Dumbledore standing near the door, smiling at them. "Like so many before you, you've discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised," Dumbledore said placidly. "What do you think it does?" he asked.

"It shows what we want," Harry answered. "Whatever we want."

"Yes and no," Dumbledore replied. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts." He peered at the boys. "Harry, while you are loved by your guardians, you see yourself with the parents that we're taken from you. And Draco..." He paused and tilted his head to one side, looking at Draco expectantly.

"I see my parents being proud of me," Draco said softly. "Accepting me as I am." He cast another look at the mirror, the adult version of Harry smiling sweetly at the older Draco while Malfoy Senior reached out to squeeze his son's shoulder.

Dumbledore smiled a little sadly. "It's important to remember that this mirror doesn't offer knowledge or truth. Men could waste away having into it, or driven mad. It doesn't do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." He guided them back to the door gently. "The mirror is going to be moved, and I must ask you not to go looking for it again," he said, his tone gentle but firm.

"Yes sir," Harry and Draco answered. To their surprise, the headmaster winked at them before draping the invisibility cloak over them.

"The headmaster is weird," Draco whispered as they made their way back to the common room.

Harry giggled softly, agreeing with Draco's assessment. He desperately wanted to ask what Draco had seen in the mirror, but he didn't. It seemed to have startled Draco a little and if the blond wanted to discuss it, he'd come to Harry.

Draco climbed back into his bed, his thoughts on the image that he'd seen in the mirror. He didn't usual think much about how badly he wanted his father's approval. During the break, Draco's father had expressed pleasure with the fact that Draco and Harry were friends. But, he used words like alliance, useful and appearances. His father wanted benefits for the Malfoy reputation, and seemed to think that having Harry on their side would be important later. Draco didn't want that. He knew by the look his mother gave him that it wouldn't be good for Harry. Harry wasn't like Lucius Malfoy.

Draco couldn't bring himself to voice his fears to Harry just yet. Harry had returned to school with a happy smile and Draco didn't want to spoil that. All that mattered was that Draco wasn't willing to give Harry up. The memory of seeing them holding hands as adults made him feel oddly warm. They'd never held hands, not really. The closest they'd come was when Draco would grab his hand when they were little to drag him off somewhere. Draco was sure that holding Harry's hand now would feel rather different.

HP~HP~HP

A few weeks later, they figured out who Nicholas Flamel was. Hermione had come to the library with the largest book Harry had ever seen and dropped it onto the table. She quickly found the passage she wanted and allowed the others to read over it.

Nicholas Flamel was the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone. It could turn any metal into gold and was used to make the elixir of life, which would make the drinker immortal.

They approached Hagrid with what they knew, but he wasn't pleased with their continued interference. He tried to assure them that Professor Snape was one of the people protecting the stone, and that of course he wouldn't try to steal it. This didn't absolve Snape at all in the minds of Ron and Hermione.

Their attention was temporarily redirected when they saw Hagrid pull on a pair of pink oven mitts. He reached into a cauldron that was being heated in the fireplace and pulled out a large egg. Harry wasn't sure of the egg's color since the room was so dimly lit, but it was very dark.

"That's a dragon egg," Ron said, edging away from the table as it began to crack.

Draco's eyes widened. "Where did you get a dragon egg?" he demanded, his voice much higher than usual.

"I won it off a feller down a' the pub," Hagrid explained. "Seemed glad to be rid of it actually," he added with a frown, as if he couldn't imagine why someone wouldn't want to carry a dragon egg around in their pocket.

Draco took a step back as they egg cracked open. He caught Harry's arm and pulled him back as well. A moment later, a dragon emerged. His scaly body glistening in the fire's warm glow and his eyes peered around at them.

"Hello Norbert," Hagrid chuckled, attempting to tickle the dragon under its chin. The dragon bit his finger and then nearly set his beard on fire. "Little tyke," Hagrid cooed.

"Your house is made of wood!" Hermione shrieked.

Hagrid only shushed her, not wanting to scare the baby dragon. Draco buried his face against Harry's shoulder to muffle his laughter at the absurdity.

They left Hagrid's hut, a little concerned that it would be nothing but a pile of ash the next morning. But, they found something else to worry about soon enough. They stepped into the castle only to run right in to Filch.

"Students out of bed after curfew," Filch muttered with a nasty grin. "Right this way."

The four students followed the caretaker right to Professor McGonagall's office. The door opened and her stern glare settled on the students as they were ushered inside. She spoke with Filch briefly before shutting the door and moving to stand behind her desk.

Harry dropped his gaze to the floor. He hated to make Minnie angry. Even at school he thought of her like a parental figure. Calling her professor didn't change that. He couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes, knowing that he'd see disappointment there.

"Nothing gives a student the right to wander the grounds at night," McGonagall said sternly. "I'm taking fifty points from each of you and you will serve detention tomorrow night."

A one hundred point loss for Slytherin and Gryffindor. Their housemates we're going to be furious. "Return to your dorms Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger," McGonagall snapped. "Immediately. Mr. Malfoy, step into the hall for a moment."

Ron, Hermione and Draco stepped out of the room, leaving Harry alone with McGonagall. She sat down on top of her desk, eyeing Harry with pursed lips. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked with a shake off her head.

"I'm sorry," Harry said softly. "We were visiting Hagrid and meant to be back before curfew."

"So what kept you?" she asked.

Harry winced, knowing that he'd never get away with lying to her. And he was honestly worried about Hagrid. "He had a dragon egg," Harry admitted, feeling as if he'd just betrayed Hagrid. "We saw it hatch and..." His breath caught in his throat. He wasn't going to cry. He was a student at Hogwarts and too old to cry over every little thing.

"Harry?" McGonagall asked, tilting his chin up so he's meet her gaze. "Did it hurt you?" she asked, alarmed by his distress.

"No, but I'm afraid it'll hurt Hagrid," Harry said, his voice wavering. "And I don't want to get him into trouble." To his surprise, McGonagall hugged him. For a moment, she was just Minnie instead of his strict Transfiguration teacher.

"Hagrid will be fine," she assured him. "I'll take care of it." She pulled back to cup his face in her hands. "Behave yourself young man. Now off to bed."

Harry gave her another quick hug and then left the office. Draco whirled around to face Harry, his features pulled into a worried frown. "Are you alright?" Draco asked. "You didn't get into more trouble?"

"No," Harry answered with a little sigh. "But I had to tell her about the dragon."

"Probably for the best," Draco said reasonably, linking their arms together and keeping Harry close to his side as they walked towards their common room. "Dragons are not good pets. Someone could get hurt with a creature like that around. I know you said he's always wanted a dragon, but that's just silly," he added, giving Harry a little poke in the ribs, making Harry smile reluctantly.

Detention the next night found the four students being led by Filch toward the Forbidden Forest. They met Hagrid near the treeline. The gamekeeper was mopping his eyes with a comically large handkerchief. Norbert the dragon had been picked up by Charlie Weasley to be transported to a dragon reserve in Romania.

Filch sternly commanded Hagrid to pull himself together before going into the Forbidden Forest.

"We can't go in there!" Draco yelped, his eyes wide with anxiety. "Students aren't allowed. And there are dangerous creatures in there... werewolves, I heard."

Filch looked unimpressed. "There's a lot worse than werewolves in them trees. You can be sure of that," he added ominously, before turning and limping away toward the castle.

Hagrid cleared his throat and picked up a crossbow, not noticing the growing alarm on the students faces. He led the way just inside the woods and stopped to run his fingers over a silvery substance on a fallen tree. He held his hand up for the students to see.

"This is unicorn blood," Hagrid explained. "A few have been killed, and this one's been hurt bad. So we're going to find the poor creature. Ron and Hermione, you're with me. Harry, you're with Draco."

"And we get Fang," Draco said hastily, gesturing to the boarhound at Hagrid's side.

"Course," Hagrid nodded distractedly. "He's a bloody coward though. Send up red sparks if you find the unicorn." He started off into the woods with Hermione and Ron trailing after him.

"Great," Draco said flatly, eyeing the dog with disappointment.

"Let's go," Harry sighed. He picked his way across the forest floor, wobbling a bit on the uneven ground.

Draco muttered continuously as they walked. It was mostly complaints about doing servants' work and stupid trees blocking the moonlight. The sound of a fallen branch cracking under Harry's foot startled him pretty badly, prompting Harry to grab hold of his hand and urge him along.

They finally came to a small clearing and found the unicorn, lying lifelessly on the ground. His pure white flesh was torn and there was someone, or something, crouched over it and drinking the blood.

Draco squeezed Harry's hand tighter, his entire body trembling with fright. He tried to pull Harry back, but twigs snapped underfoot, drawing the creatures attention.

Whatever it was, it's face was obscured by the hood of its cloak. He rose from its crouched position and began gliding toward the two boys as Fang took off in a panic.

Harry and Draco stumbled backward, clinging to one another fearfully. Harry's scar suddenly began to burn horribly. He gasped and fell to his knees. Draco crouched at Harry's side, panic surging through him. He couldn't protect Harry from that monster. But, before the creature got to them, another creature leapt into the clearing, chasing it away.

"It's a centaur," Draco whispered, still shaking. He managed to wrap both arms around Harry and didn't seem inclined to let go any time soon.

The centaur had the body of a large brown horse and the torso of a man. His skin was dark and his eyes were a pale blue. His hair was white-blond.

"Thank you," Harry said shakily. Draco nodded his agreement.

"The forest is not safe. Especially for you, Harry Potter," the centaur said solemnly.

"What was that thing?" Harry asked.

"A monstrous creature," the centaur responded gravely. "To kill a unicorn is a terrible crime. Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you're an inch from death. But at a terrible price. You've slain something so pure, that the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half life. A cursed life."

Harry swallowed hard. "Who would choose such a life?" he asked. "Who would be that desperate?"

The centaur have him a pointed look. "Can you think of no one?" he asked. "Who would be willing to to accept a curse just long enough for them to drink something else?"

Harry considered the question, his stomach lurching when the centaur's gaze flicked to the scar on Harry's forehead. "You're saying that thing... That killed the unicorn to drink its blood... It was Voldemort," Harry said, Draco shuddering violently against him.

"Come," the centaur said kneeling and coaxing the two boys onto his back. Draco climbed on behind Harry, resting against Harry's back wearily. Firenze galloped through the trees, taking them back to Hagrid.

"Hello Firenze," Hagrid said warily, watching Draco and Harry slide down to the ground. Draco's hand slid across Harry's back and then down his arm to grasp Harry's hand tightly again.

Firenze nodded to Hagrid before looking back at the boys. "This is where I leave you," he said. "You're safe now."

"Blood hell," Ron breathed out as Firenze galloped away.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, her gaze drifting to Harry and Draco's hands.

"No," Draco blurted out in agitation. "We found the bloody unicorn and the hideous creature drinking its blood. It came right at us..." His voice trailed off in a whimper and he shivered as he looked back the way they'd come.

Harry led Draco back out of the forest while explaining what they'd seen to the others. Draco remained silent. Hagrid walked them to the castle entrance before returning to his hut. The four students stood together for a moment, not eager to make the trek to their common rooms.

"You don't think you-know-who is going to try to kill you, do you?" Ron asked Harry.

"I think he would have killed me tonight if Firenze hadn't run him off," Harry said quietly.

Hermione patted Harry's arm comfortingly and then did the same to Draco. "It'll be alright Harry," she said. "Dumbledore is the only wizard that you-know-who ever feared. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched." She gave a little wave and headed to Gryffindor tower with Ron.

Draco sighed heavily, finally pulling his hand away from Harry's. They made their way to the Slytherin common room, both of their minds preoccupied. Was it really Voldemort in the forest draining blood from unicorns to stay alive? Was he after the Sorcerer's stone? And was Snape helping him? Draco didn't want to admit it, but he was starting to worry that his godfather was involved. He didn't want Hermione and Ron to be right about that.

"We'll figure this out Draco," Harry murmured.

Draco nodded tiredly and quickly changed for bed. He had no doubt that Harry would find the answers. Draco was just afraid of what they would be.

HP~HP~HP

Harry was quiet for the next few days. Draco didn't push him to talk, but Hermione couldn't seem to resist nagging him. Blaise had been informed of what happened in the forest and had taken to helping Ron try to lighten the mood. But, Blaise had also overheard Snape threatening Quirrell one evening in a seldom used corridor, which did nothing to ease Harry's mind.

One afternoon, Harry kept wincing and rubbing at the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. "What's wrong?" Draco asked him, tugging Harry's hand down to peer at the scar.

"It keeps burning," Harry said, his body tense. "I've got a bad feeling..."

Draco exchanged an uneasy look with Blaise as they stepped through the castle doors and onto the grounds. Hermione and Ron were sitting near the black lake waiting for them, but hurried over when they saw Harry's pained expression.

Harry wasn't particularly interested in Hermione's fussing, so he drew in a deep breath and tried to keep his expression neutral. He glanced toward Hagrid's hut and froze. "Oh no..." he murmured.

"What?" Ron asked.

"We should have thought of this sooner," Harry said, shaking his head in dismay. "Why would anyone wander around with a dragon egg in their pocket? Hagrid has always wanted a dragon, and he meets someone mad enough to just carry one with him?"

Draco's eyes widened in alarm and he caught Harry's arm, propelling them toward Hagrid's hut. The other three followed hastily.

Hagrid was sitting on the front steps of the hut, using a knife to strip the bark from a tree branch. He smiled at the students and set his knife aside to give them his attention.

"The man you got the egg from," Harry began eagerly. "Did you see what he looked like?"

"No, he kept his hood up," Hagrid responded, looking a little confused by the question.

"Did you talk at all?" Harry asked.

"Sure, he wanted to know if I could handle a dragon," Hagrid shrugged. "Course, I told him after Fluffy, a dragon wouldn't be any trouble."

"Did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry pressed, feeling Draco shift restlessly next to him.

"Well of course," Hagrid replied with a grin. "How often do you come across a three headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I told him, the trick with any beast is to know how to calm 'em. Take Fluffy, for example... You play him a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep."

Hermione gasped sharply and Ron winced. Blaise groaned and gripped at his hair. Draco and Harry were staring at Hagrid in shock.

"I shouldn't have told you that," Hagrid muttered. Then he sputtered when the students abruptly turned and ran back to the castle.

"We have to tell Dumbledore," Harry gasped, clutching at his own hair as skidded to a halt just as the reached the castle doors. "This is so bad."

"Keep it together Potter," Blaise sighed, giving Harry a push to urge him forward. They made their way through the castle. The paused as they passed one of the doors, hearing a voice from within. "That sounds like Quirrell," Blaise murmured.

"Please n-n-no," came Quirrell's muffled sob. "P-p-please, not again."

Harry bit his lip, his heart slamming against his rib cage. Who was in there with poor Professor Quirrell?

"Alright," Quirrell choked out. "Alright, I'll d-d-do it."

At the sound of footsteps, the five students scurried into an alcove. They watched as Quirrell hurried past them, his face ashen.

Harry moved around to peek into the room that Quirrell had just left. He didn't see anyone else there, but there was another open door on the opposite side of the room.

"It was Snape," Ron said firmly. "I bet you anything it was Snape." 

"We don't know that for sure," Draco retorted. "But I think it's safe to assume that someone is going after the Sorcerer's Stone. And soon."

Harry groaned. "Let's move," he muttered. He drew in a deep breath, dread welling up in him. "We've got to talk to Dumbledore."


	8. Year One: Part Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the last chapter for year one. The summer chapter is nearly done and we'll move on to year two.

"Professor Dumbledore isn't here."

Harry stared at Percy Weasley in stunned disbelief. They'd been grateful to run into a prefect on their way to Dumbledore's office, though they would have preferred that it hadn't been Percy. But Percy's announcement had made their disappointment even greater.

"Where is he?" Ron asked his brother impatiently.

"He received an urgent message from the ministry," Percy said pompously. "The headmaster is a very important man. He left for London and will likely return tomorrow. What do you need?" he asked, looking the first years over expectantly.

"Er- Nothing," Ron replied, eager to get away from Prefect Percy.

"Do stay out of trouble," Percy sighed.

"Stupid Percy," Ron muttered once they were far enough away. "What do we do now?"

"We stop Snape, or whoever," Harry said glancing at Draco. "We've got to move fast."

Blaise groaned but followed the group as they reached through the halls and up stairs to the third floor. They halted when they found the door to the forbidden corridor was ajar. They could see a harp resting silently on the floor. Fluffy was awake and pacing agitatedly, his huge paws thudding on the floor.

"Someone used the harp to get past Fluffy," Hermione whispered. "I don't know a spell to make the harp play, so how do we get through?"

They exchanged anxious looks. They had learned a lot of spells, but none that would help them against a three-headed dog.

"Draco sings," Harry said suddenly.

"I do not!" Draco squeaked, his face flushing.

"Yes you do," Harry retorted. "You sing to yourself all the time. It's nice," Harry assured him, feeling bad for embarrassing the blond.

"That should work," Hermione said with a nod, unconcerned about Draco's discomfort.

"Wait," Blaise said. "What's the plan here? You can't just run in there."

"We don't have a choice," Harry insisted. "Someone already has a headstart. Voldemort can't be allowed to get the Sorcerer's Stone. We can't let that happen." He sighed and thought quickly. "Blaise, I want you to go get help. Draco, after you put Fluffy to sleep, you help Blaise."

"I'm not leaving you," Draco stated incredulously. How could Harry want to take Ron and Hermione but leave Draco behind?

Harry sighed, his expression pained. "Draco, your father will be furious when he finds out you're involved," Harry said quietly. "You can help by getting the professors back here to help us. Please," he added softly. Draco's expression broke Harry's heart, but he was relieved when Draco nodded.

The pushed the door further open, wincing as Fluffy growled viciously. Draco hesitated for only a moment before he began singing a lullaby, his voice soft and sweet. Fluffy's eyelids drooped and he stretched out on the floor, his three mouths opening wide to yawn.

Harry pulled open the trapdoor and sat down to slide through the opening. He bit his lip as Draco's voice trembled for a moment. Harry took a deep breath and dropped through the hole and onto something that wasn't as hard as he'd expected.

Hermione and Ron followed, relieved that the drop wasn't too far. The relief was short lived as vines began to wrap themselves around the three students. They'd fallen right into Devil's Snare.

Hermione freed them from the plant by conjuring bluebell flames. The plant shrank away from the warmth and light, allowing the students to hurry to the only door in the room.

They rushed through and found themselves in a chamber with a very high ceiling and strange creatures flying around above them. Resting against one wall, was a broomstick.

"They're keys," Harry said, squinting upward. "Keys with wings."

"So... we need to catch one to get through the door?" Hermione suggested, eyeing the broom warily.

"I can do that," Harry said, striding toward the broom.

"Look for one that's old fashioned," Ron said helpfully. "Probably silver like the handle."

After a few moments of looking, Harry spotted a key matching Ron's description. One of its wings was bent from being caught and jammed into a keyhole.

Harry mounted the broom and took off after the key as it struggled to fly. The other keys seemed to become more aggressive, pelting toward Harry and making it difficult to see.

Harry managed to snatch the silver key out of the air and swooped low to throw it at Ron. Ron caught the key and shoved it through the door's keyhole before twisting the knob and throwing the door open. He rushed into the next room and Hermione followed hastily.

Ron held the door open, ready to slam it closed after Harry. The other demented keys were chasing after Harry, their wings fluttering madly.

Harry leaned forward on the broom, urging it to go faster. He sped through the door and heard the loud thud of Ron slamming the door. Harry landed and tossed the broom aside, panting slightly. He glanced around the room, freezing at the sight of what seemed to be a giant chess board.

"We've got to play across the room," Ron said, hid gaze sweeping the board calculatingly. He briskly directed Harry and Hermione to replace to of the black chess pieces before selecting a knight for himself.

Harry watched and listened as Ron gave orders to the moving chess pieces. It was brutal. Pieces were smashed to bits by the other side before being sent off the board. Ron was careful to keep Harry and Hermione from getting crushed. Harry had learned to play from Ron but Harry was terrible at chess.

Harry felt as if his stomach had such to his feet when he realized what the set up of the board indicated. Their chance of winning the game rested with Ron sacrificing himself.

"No," Harry said, panic filling his mind.

"I've got to," Ron said, knowing that Harry understood what would happen. "The white queen will take me, and then you're free to get the king."

"There's got to be another way!" Hermione cried frantically.

"There's no time! Harry's got to get to the stone before Snape does," Ron insisted. "This is how we've got to do it."

Ron made his move and then waited anxiously as the white queen slid toward him. It stopped and lifted its arms and bashed Ron on the head with the hilt if its sword. Ron crumbled to the ground.

Harry shouted to stop Hermione from leaving the square she occupied. Harry took a deep breath and moved across four squares diagonally. "Checkmate," he said clearly. The white king tossed his crown at Harry's feet. They'd won.

Hermione rushed over to Ron's side. She looked him over anxiously. "He's breathing," she sighed in relief. "We should keep going. Blaise and Draco will send someone in."

The next room contained a troll, but it was lying unconscious on the ground. Someone had clearly already taken care of it. It was a good thing too. It was a bit bigger than the last troll they'd encountered and the stench was truly wretched.

Harry and Hermione hurried through the next door. Black flames erupted before them, blocking the way forward. Purple flames sprang up behind them, preventing them from going back. "And we're trapped," Harry sighed.

In front of them sat a table with seven potion bottles in varying shapes and sizes. Next to the potions was a sheet of parchment. Hermione eyed the row of potions before picking up the parchment. Harry pressed close to read the parchment with her.

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind.  
Two of us would help you, whichever you would find.  
One among us seven will let you move ahead.  
Another will transport the drinker back instead.  
Two among our number hold only nettle wine.  
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.  
Choose unless you wish to stay here forevermore.  
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:  
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide  
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;  
Second, different are those who stand at either end,  
But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;  
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,  
Neither dwarf not giant holds death in their insides;  
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right  
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.

"What?" Harry asked blankly.

"It's a puzzle," Hermione said, a relieved smile lighting up her face. "Everything we need to know is right here."

She read over the paper several times. Then she started muttering to herself as she walked up and down the line of bottles, pointing at them. After a few moments, she turned to Harry. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire."

Harry nodded, picking up the bottle. "There's only enough for one of us," he murmured. "Which one will take you back through the purple fire?"

Hermione pointed to a rounded bottle toward the right side.

"You drink that one," Harry said. "Go back to Ron and hopefully the professors will get their quickly."

Hermione hugged Harry tightly. "Be careful Harry," she said softly, her throat tight with emotion. She drank from the round bottle, shuddering at the icy coldness of it, and then walked right through the purple flames.

Harry drank from the small bottle and then walked straight for the black flames. When he stepped through to the next room, he froze in shock. There was Professor Quirrell in his purple turban. "You!" Harry gasped.

"I wondered if I'd be seeing you here, Potter," Quirrell said calmly.

"We thought Snape-"

Quirrell laughed. "Well, with Severus swooping around like an over-grown bat, who would suspect me?" he chuckled.

"But, he tried to kill me!" Harry argued, his brain struggling to comprehend what was happening.

"No, that was me," Quirrell corrected with a cruel smile. "Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over when she was rushing to set fire to Snape. She broke my eye contact. I would have succeeded before she could get there if Snape hadn't been muttering a countercurse to save you."

Harry instantly felt guilty. Snape had been protecting Harry. Harry wished that he'd listened to Draco about that.

"No matter," Quirrell went on dismissively. "I'll simply kill you tonight. His efforts were wasted." He snapped his fingers and ropes popped of thin Harry to wrap themselves around Harry. "Now you wait while I examine this mirror."

It was the Mirror of Erised. This was wear the mirror was relocated to? Surely that meant that it was helping to guard the stone.

"I see the Stone... I'm giving it to my master..." Quirrell murmured, eyeing the mirror. "But where is it? Is it inside the mirror? Should I break it?"

Harry's mind was racing. What he wanted more than anything was to find the stone before Quirrell did. So, if he looked into the mirror, he should be able to see himself finding it. Surely that was it.

"How does it work? Help me Master!" Quirrell cried out.

"Use the boy."

Harry shuddered at the high cold voice that seemed to come from Quirrell himself. He swallowed hard when Quirrell whirled around to face him.

"Come here Potter," Quirrell commanded. He clapped his hands together, making the ropes fall away from Harry. "Come look in the mirror and tell me what you see."

Harry approached the mirror, Quirrell keeping close behind him. Harry looked at his own reflection, staring back at him with wide frightened eyes. And then the reflection smirked and reached into its pocket. It pulled out a blood-red stone, winked and put the Stone back into its pocket. Harry felt something drop into his real pocket. He had gotten the Stone!

"What do you see?" Quirrell demanded.

"I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I've won the house cup," Harry lied swiftly.

"Get out of the way," Quirrell snarled, pushing Harry aside.

Harry gladly moved out of the way, wondering if he should try to run. And then that strange, cold voice returned. "He lies."

"Come back here and tell the truth!" Quirrell shouted at Harry.

"Let me speak to him," the voice said.

Quirrell reached up and unwrapped his turban, and turned away from Harry. Protruding from the back of his head was a second face that was chalky white. It had red eyes and two slits for a nose, like a snake.

"Harry Potter," the voice said.

Harry felt sick. This was Voldemort.

"So now you see what I've become," Voldemort said, his red eyes staring directly at Harry. "Reduced to a shadow of my former self. Faithful Quirrell has been drinking unicorn blood to sustain me. But I can't obtain a new body without an elixir produced from a certain Stone. A Stone which conveniently lies in your pocket."

Harry winced. So much for slipping the stone past Quirrell.

"Why don't you just hand over the stone?" Voldemort went on. "Better save your own life and join me. Otherwise you'll meet the same end as your parents. They died begging for their lives."

"Liar!" Harry snapped furiously.

Voldemort let out a high, wheezing laugh that made Harry's skin crawl. "Bravery," Voldemort sneered. "Fine. Yes, you're parents were brave. Your father fought bravely before he died. But your mother- She didn't have to die. She was only protecting you. Hand over the stone and join me, so her death will not be in vain."

"Never!" Harry shouted.

"Seize him!" Voldemort screamed.

Harry bolted for the black flames. He was nearly there when Quirrell caught hold of his wrist. There was a burning pain in Harry's forehead and he struggled to free himself. Quirrell released him, gasping in pain as his hand began to blister.

"Seize him you fool!" Voldemort shrieked again.

Quirrell knocked Harry down, pinning him down and wrapping his hands around Harry's throat. Harry pulled at Quirrell's hands, gasping in shock when Quirrrell howled in pain. Harry could see that his hands looked red and raw.

"My hands," Quirrell groaned, backing away from Harry. "I can't keep hold of him."

"Then just kill him!" Voldemort screamed furiously.

Harry's widened with understanding. For whatever reason, Quirrell couldn't bare to touch Harry's skin. He lurched to his feet and rushed at Quirrell to grab his face. When Quirrell jerked back, Harry seized his arm and held on.

Harry felt like his head was going to split in two. But he knew he couldn't let go. He held on while Quirrell thrashed and screamed. Harry's vision began fading and he thought he could hear someone screaming his name as his world went dark.

HP~HP~HP

Harry groaned and opened his eyes. He jumped a little when he found Dumbledore leaning over him. "Professor!" he gasped. "Quirrell's got the stone. You've got-"

"Calm yourself Harry," Dumbledore said, "or Madam Pomfrey is going to kick me out."

"What happened?" Harry asked. "I was trying to keep Quirrell from getting the stone. "

"I'm aware," Dumbledore nodded. "Quirrell did not manage to get the stone from you. I got back to the school and encountered Minerva who let me know that you'd sent your friends out for help. I arrived just in time to pull him off of you. I feared I might be too late."

"You nearly were. I couldn't have kept him off the stone much longer," Harry said.

"Not for the stone, for you," Dumbledore corrected. "The effort involved nearly killed you. For a moment, I thought it had. I'm so very glad that you're alright. As for the stone, it has been destroyed."

"But, your friend- Nicholas Flamel... He'll die."

"He and his wife have enough elixir to set their affairs in order," Dumbledore said. "Then yes, they will die. They agree that it's for the best."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "Sir, why could Quirrell touch me?" he asked.

"Your mother died to save you," Dumbledore said softly. "Voldemort doesn't understand love. A love as powerful as powerful as your mother's leaves its own mark. Your mother loved you so deeply that, even though she is gone, it still gives you some protection. Quirrell, full of hated, greed and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony for him to touch someone marked by something so good."

Harry sniffled and rubbed at his damp eyes. Dumbledore turned to inspect the piles of sweets and gifts next to the bed while Harry composed himself.

"How did I get the stone?" Harry asked once he was sure that his voice was steady.

"It was one of my more brilliant ideas," Dumbledore responded, his expression delighted. "Only someone who wanted to find the stone- find it, but not use it- would be able to get it."

Harry smiled. "Very clever," he said.

"I certainly thought so," Dumbledore agreed.

Before Harry could ask any more questions, the doors to the hospital wing burst open. McGonagall rushed into the room followed by Remus. In the next moment, Harry was engulfed in a hug with his two guardians.

"Thank Merlin," Remus muttered, cupping Harry's face and kissing his forehead.

"You gave us quite a scare," McGonagall said, her hands shaking slightly. "Draco Malfoy was nearly hysterical when he told me that you'd gone after the stone."

"I'm sorry I worried you," Harry said, his heart aching as he understood how much his Minnie and Moony loved him. "I love you," he said softly, hugging them both.

"We love you too Pup," Remus said wetly. "So much." Minerva nodded, stroking Harry's hair.

"Mr. Potter needs his rest," Madam Pomfrey said tersely, interrupting their moment.

"Poppy, perhaps we could allow Harry to see his friends first," Dumbledore suggested. "Just for a few moments. "Mr. Malfoy is likely to make trouble for everyone until he sees Harry for himself."

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Five minutes," she said sternly.

A moment later Dumbledore ushered Draco, Ron, Hermine and Blaise into the infirmary. They crowded around the bed looking relieved. McGonagall and Remus backed away to give them space.

"You've been out for three days," Blaise said. "Bit rude to keep us waiting like that."

Harry smiled tiredly. "Sorry about that," he laughed.

"We were all so worried," Hermione told him.

"So what really happened?" Ron asked.

Harry gave a brief description of his encounter. His friends looked horrified when they found out what had been under Professor Quirrell's turban. Draco remained silent while the others talked, choosing to listen and watch Harry's face.

"Draco?" Harry asked uncertainly. "Are you angry with me?"

Draco smiled slightly. "You'd certainly deserve it if I was," he said. "But right now I'm just glad you're alright. You've got to stop behaving like such a Gryffindor. It's bad for your health," he said, giving Harry a pointed look.

"Thank you for going to get help," Harry said. "Because of you, Professor Dumbledore got to me in time." He glanced at Blaise to include him.

"You certainly have an admirably dedicated group of friends," Dumbledore said. "In fact, I'm so very impressed with all of you, that I'm awarding fifty points to each of you."

The students grinned at this announcement. But it faded the next moment when Madam Pomfrey chased everyone out of the infirmary.

Harry fell asleep with a contented smile on his lips.

HP~HP~HP

Despite the chaos, Harry had done very well on all his exams, including potions- thanks to Draco. Ron had not faired quite as well but his grades were good and he was pleased. Hermione had the best grades of all the first years and Draco had been a close second, which irritated him to know end.

The train ride home was rather pleasant. Ron and Draco still weren't especially fond of one another, but they managed to be mostly civil for Harry's sake.

Harry was excited to spend the summer with Remus, but it would be hard to not see his friends everyday. They all agreed to write often and visit if they could.

When they were nearly back at Kings Cross Station, Draco turned to Harry with a smile. "I've got a name for you," Draco said.

"We were going to agree on a name," Ron objected with a scowl. "You don't get to decide."

"But it's really good," Draco insisted. "It's a great name for Harry."

"What is it?" Blaise asked.

"Orion," Draco answered, obviously pleased with himself.

"Like the constellation?" Blaise asked.

"Right," Draco confirmed. "You can see it from all over the world and it's one of the most recognizable constellations in the sky. It's named after Orion the hunter in Greek mythology. Some people use the Orion constellation to locate other constellations."

"Draco is a constellation as well," Hermione noted.

"It's the perfect name then," Blaise laughed. "Whenever I'm looking Draco, I know I've just got to find Harry."

This made even Ron laugh. "Fine," Ron said, shaking his head in amusement. "Orion is a good name I suppose. Better than Salazar or Godric."

Harry rolled his eyes. It figured that one of the few things Draco and Ron agreed on would be in naming Harry like the family pet. But it wasn't so bad. He liked the meaning of the name. And Draco looked rather pleased with himself.

As the train pulled into the station, Draco turned and hugged Harry tightly. "I might not be able to do this once we get off the train," Draco murmured. "Father wouldn't approve of such a thing."

Harry didn't like to see the cool composure that Draco adopted as he stepped off the train, but he understood. The Malfoy heir had a reputation and an image of poise to uphold.

Even Blaise seemed to change once they got off the train. The teasing banter and ready smiles disappeared like vapor.

Blaise and Draco stopped to face Harry before approaching their families. "Enjoy your summer Potter," Blaise said coolly, shaking Harry hand politely.

"Try to stay out of trouble," Draco added, his expression neutral. And then he winked at Harry, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

"See you later Malfoy. Zabini." Harry nodded in farewell, doing his best to look serious and respectful. He could see Draco's parents watching them from a short distance away.

Harry said goodbye to Ron and Hermione and then turned to find Remus waiting for him. He hurried forward and hugged Remus tightly. "I missed you," Harry said, smiling brightly.

"Me too," Remus said with a happy sigh. It was hard to believe that Harry was done with his first year. It was hard to see his boy grow up, but Remus intended to savor every moment of it.


	9. A House Elf's Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The summer between first and second year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not fond of this chapter. It's not quite working for me, but I must press on so here it is.

There was nothing better than relaxing in the warm sunshine. It was perfect for long, languid stretches and afternoon cat-naps.

"It's hard to believe that you'd turn out to be such a lazy kitten," a male voice said, sounding amused.

One green eye slid open to find Remus crouched in the grass and smiling. "Care to join me for lunch Orion?" Remus asked, reaching out to stroke black fur. Orion rolled onto his back, exposing his belly and stretching his toes.

A moment later, Harry was human again. He gave another stretch, enjoying the pull of muscles before he relaxed again. "It's so nice out here," he said, finally sitting up. He loved coming outside to enjoy the warm sunlight. It was especially pleasant in his feline form.

"How about a picnic then?" Remus suggested. When Harry eagerly nodded, Remus levitated their food outside while Harry spread out a blanket to sit on.

They had sandwiches, crisps and lemonade that was delightfully cool. Harry ate slowly, his eyes unfocused as the rested on a flower bed. "You seem a little down," Remus said carefully. "I thought you'd be a little happier to spend the summer with me."

Harry instantly felt guilty. "I love spending time with you," Harry assured him. "It's not you. It's just- I haven't gotten any letters from my friends. Not one," he added sadly. "I see Ron sometimes... I knew he wasn't going to bother writing. But, I really thought that Draco would write to me. Blaise and Hermione too."

Remus frowned. That was surprising and rather strange. Between stories from Minerva and Harry himself, Remus was under the impression that Harry was very close with his friends. Draco in particular had always been attached to Harry.

"Maybe they don't want to be friends anymore," Harry said softly, finally voicing the fear that had been plaguing him for the last few weeks.

"I'm sure that's not true," Remus said firmly. "There's a reasonable explanation. Give your friends a little more credit than that."

Harry felt bad for doubting his friends, but his feelings were hurt. He'd written to each of them and not received a single response. What could he have done wrong?

Harry thought that he and Draco had grown to be a little too old for the park they had been going to since they'd first met. He had Remus had gone there, just in case, but Draco had never shown up. It was fine, of course. Harry had little interest in the playground equipment. But, not hearing from Draco at all was hard on him. He wasn't as quite lclose to Blaise or Hermione, but he'd been certain that they'd write to him.

"Try not to worry," Remus said, pulling Harry into a hug. He hated seeing Harry look so sad. It warmed his heart when Harry hugged back tightly. "We're going to see the Weasleys later. That'll cheer you up."

It did cheer Harry up. The Weasley children didn't seem to mind at all that Harry was in Slytherin. He was treated like one of them, and Harry loved it.

Ginny was going to be starting her first year at Hogwarts. She acted a little oddly around Harry these days; blushing if he looked in her direction, never making eye contact and hardly ever speaking when he was around. Her older brothers thought it was hilarious.

"She's been talking about you all summer," Ron complained. "It's really annoying. You'd think she'd jump at the chance to speak directly you."

Fred and George exchanged a knowing smirk but didn't comment.

Remus sat with Molly while Harry went outside to play Quidditch with Ron and the twins. Harry graciously allowed each of them to have a turn on his Nimbus Two Thousand.

"Harry's a sweet boy," Molly mused, smiling fondly as she watched the boys laugh and play. "Has he fully recovered from his encounter with... you-know-who?"

"He's fine," Remus assured her. "Perfectly healthy."

"And what about you?" Molly prompted, eyeing Remus shrewdly. "You're looking a bit peaky."

"I'm alright," he replied, waving her off.

"Remus Lupin, you can't fool a mother," she responded tartly. "Your life revolves around that boy, and you neglect yourself."

Remus looked away, unwilling to meet her gaze. He'd kept to himself while Harry was at school. He had few friends. Sirius was in Azkaban prison, and James and Peter were dead. The night that had left Harry an orphan, Remus' heart had been broken over and over. Sirius' betrayal. Peter's murder. James and Lily's murders.

His lycanthropy and aching soul drove him to isolate himself from others. Being brought back to take care of Harry had saved Remus from his despair. But, no matter how much he loved his Pup, Remus wasn't sure that he'd ever fully recover.

"I know a few single women that might appeal to you," Molly hinted. "You're still young Remus. You need a companion."

"I appreciate the concern," Remus said lightly. "But I'm not interested in the slightest."

Molly sighed but didn't argue. She didn't want to risk pushing Remus away. He did seem to brighten around Harry and, for now, it would just have to be enough.

Outside, Ron was dutifully soothing Harry's mind. "Maybe Malfoy's dad isn't letting him write you," Ron suggested.

"Maybe," Harry said with a little shrug. "I thought maybe I did something wrong."

"No," Ron said firmly, his eyes following as Fred flew in circles on Harry's broom. "You're fine, and I'm sure there's a good reason for him not writing you. I don't like the bloke, but he definitely cares about you."

"Blaise and Hermione?" Harry prompted quietly.

"I don't know mate," Ron admitted. "But I'm sure that they still want to be friends."

Harry smiled, grateful that he at least had Ron. It meant a lot to him that Ron would defend Draco to make Harry happy.

When they got home, Harry went into his room to get ready to take a shower. He stopped in his tracks when he found a house elf jumping on his bed. They didn't have any house elves, so Harry wasn't sure where it had come from.

Suddenly, the elf stopped bouncing and turned to face Harry. His wide, bulging eyes focused intently on Harry. "Harry Potter," the elf said in a squeaky voice, his long pointed ears wiggling in what appeared to be excitement. "Such an honor it is."

"Who are you?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Dobby, sir. Dobby the house elf."

Harry stared blankly at the house elf. "What do you want?" he asked curiously.

"Dobby has come to tell you-" Dobby cut himself off with a grimace. "It is difficult, sir. Dobby wonders where to begin."

"Why don't you sit down?" Harry suggested, gesturing to his slightly rumpled bed. He was shocked and horrified when Dobby burst into loud sobs.

The sound drew Remus into the bedroom to investigate. He paused in the doorway. "Er- Who's your friend?" he asked Harry, gesurting toward the wailing house elf.

"Uh... Dobby," Harry responded with a helpless shrug.

Remus backed away from the door. "I'll give you a moment," he muttered. The elf would probably be less forthcoming if Remus interfered.

Harry sighed. He shushed the house elf gently. "Calm down Dobby. I didn't mean to offend you or anything."

Dobby immediately ceased his crying and stared at Harry in awe. "Offend Dobby? Dobby has heard of Harry Potter's greatness. But never has Dobby been asked to sit down next to a wizard. Like an equal." He looked to be seconds away from resuming his howling. His watery eyes were gazing at Harry adoringly.

"You can't have met many decent wizards then," Harry said uncomfortably.

"No, I haven't," Dobby confirmed. And then he turned away. "What an awful thing to say..." He suddenly began slamming his head against the dresser repeatedly while shrieking "Bad Dobby!"

Horrified, Harry lurched forward and pulled Dobby away from the dresser. The house elf looked a little dizzy, but otherwise unharmed. "Are you alright?" Harry asked, wondering if all house elves were this crazy and they just hid it a little better.

"Dobby had to punish himself," Dobby said, rubbing at his abused cranium. "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family."

Harry nodded in understanding, though he still thought Dobby was quite mad.

"But Dobby had to come," Dobby went on. "Dobby had to protect Harry Potter. To warn him. Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts this year." Dobby inched closer to Harry, his expression earnest. "There is a plot sir. A plot to make most terrible things happen."

"What terrible things?" Harry asked. "Who's plotting them?"

"Can't say..." Dobby grunted, clutching at his ears. He made a run at the wall and slammed into it hard.

Harry rolled his eyes impatiently. He'd encountered a few house elves since Minnie and Moony had taken him in, but his experience was limited. He certainly knew enough to find it strange for a house elf to defy the family he served. "Alright," he said, grasping Dobby by the shoulders to still him. "I understand why you can't tell me more. But I have to go back to school. I belong at Hogwarts. And my friends are there."

"Friends that don't even write to Harry Potter?" Dobby asked slyly.

"How do you know about that?" Harry demanded.

Dobby winced and pulled a stack of envelops out from under the old, ragged pillow case he was wearing. "Harry Potter mustn't be angry with Dobby," he said cautiously. "Dobby thought that if Harry Potter thought his friends had forgotten him, Harry Potter might not want to go back to school."

Harry sighed heavily. "Give me those," he grumbled, reaching for his letters.

Dobby bolted out the door and ran down the hall. He nearly ran right into Remus. Harry was close behind him. Dobby snapped his fingers and disappeared.

"No," Harry growled in frustration. "He's been stealing my letters," he informed Remus indignantly.

Remus looked amused and bewildered. "Well, at least you know that your friends were writing to you," he commented. "That was a decent pile of letters."

Harry sighed again, but a small smile crept onto his face. He would have preferred to actually read the letters, but he did feel better. Then he remembered what else Dobby had said. "He said that someone was plotting to make something bad happen," Harry said. "He said that I shouldn't return to Hogwarts."

Remus frowned. "That's odd," he muttered. "I haven't heard of anything going on. I'll speak with Albus and let him know. But Hogwarts is a safe place. There are strong wards and some of the best witches and wizards inside protecting the students and the castle." He smiled at Harry's expression of relief.

When Harry went to bad that night, Remus floo called Minerva to let her know what had happened. She confirmed that no rumors of a plot had reached her or Albus. But, a house elf willing to defy it's masters to protect Harry was an odd occurence indeed. It was certainly worth keeing an eye on.

A few days later, Harry had his twelvth birthday. They celebrated with dinner at a nice Italian restaurant. Harry loved their garlic bread. The Weasleys and Hagrid were there making it a rather noisy affair. When Dumbledore arrived, he brought Hermione along with him.

The biggest surprise came when Narcissa brought Draco and Blaise. Harry's smile could have lit up the room when he realized that his closest friends were all there.

Draco had rushed forward and hugged Harry tightly the moment their eyes met. And then he'd pulled away and his expression had closed off a bit, resuming his cool and poised demeanor. His mother gave him a look of fond exasperation but didn't chide him for his momentary outburst. She kissed Harry's cheek gently before he hurried to sit close to his friends.

"Severus told us that a strange house elf had been stopping Harry's letters," Narcissa told Remus. "Most peculiar."

"Indeed," Remus agreed. "I'm glad you could bring the boys here. Poor Harry was convinced that his friends didn't like him anymore."

"I don't think that's possible," Narcissa responded with a slight smile. "Draco does nothing but talk about him. Harry being placed in Slytherin has been good for Draco. I think he may be driving Lucius mad though."

"What does Lucius think of their friendship?" Remus asked, watching as Draco pointed out items on his menu for Harry.

"Lucius thinks that it's an exceptional alliance," Narcissa said. "He was quite pleased with Draco. Draco didn't seem happy with his father's perception of the relationship though."

Remus nodded thoughtfully. "You aren't putting yourself at risk, are you?" he asked carefully.

"Lucius would never intentionally hurt his family," Narcissa replied stiffly. "He isn't aware that the boys' friendship has been so long because he wouldn't approve of the risk I took. He wouldn't have wanted Draco to take up unsavory ideas and beliefs so early in life."

Remus sighed heavily. He supposed that he could understand. The Malfoys were an old pureblood family. Draco was raised to believe in his own superiority. Harry was being raised by two members of the Order of the Phoenix.

Lucius viewing Harry as a potential ally could be a good thing. He'd always been an opportunistic bastard. If Harry turned out to be as powerful and talented as Dumbledore seemed to expect, Lucius would be wise to approve of such an alliance.

Harry was overwhelmed by the gifts he received. His favorite was a photo album that Minnie and Moony had put together. It was full of pictures of Harry's childhood. There was a significant number of pictures of him with Draco, and nearly as many with Ron.

"Look," Draco laughed, pointing out one of the pictures of himself with Harry. "That was the day I made your cousin cry." The picture was of Draco and Harry when they were seven and they were dusting off Harry's trousers.

Harry grinned at the memory. Aunt Petunia had brought Dudley to the park one day. There had been several children there that day and Dudley had discovered that Harry was there. He'd made some rude comments and pushed Harry down. Draco had instantly stepped between the two and called Dudley by an impressive number of creative insults.

Petunia, Remus and Narcissa had hurried over to intervene and Petunia had instantly recognized her nephew. "This fat lump pushed Harry down," Draco had stated indignantly, pointing an accusing finger at Dudley. Petunia had sputtered about rudeness but had faltered under Narcissa's glare.

"They left the park pretty quickly after that," Draco chuckled.

It might have seemed like a strange memory to capture in a photo, but Harry liked it. Draco had been so offended on Harry's behalf. Dudley was easily twice Draco's size, but he'd defended Harry anyway. It had cemented their friendship even further.

"I'm so glad you could all come," Harry said once their meal was finished and they all began to leave the restaurant.

"It was great to see you Harry," Hermione said, giving him a quick hug. "Maybe we'll be able see each other in Diagon Alley when he pick up school supplies."

"That would be great," Harry agreed with a smile.

"Happy Birthday," Blaise said, patting Harry's back.

"We'll talk soon," Draco promised. "We're too old for that park, so we'll have to arrange something else."

Harry couldn't have been happier. He went to bed that night, soothed with the knowledge that his friends still cared about him. Soon they'd all be together again at school.

HP~HP~HP

Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts, followed closely by Remus. They were there picking up Harry's new textbooks, but the inside of the shop was packed with people; Mostly adult witches.

A man was addressing the crowd and going on about the books he had published and smiling winningly. A photographer was snapping pictures eagerly.

"Gilderoy Lockhart," Lupin said, wrinkling his nose slightly in distaste.

Lockhart spotted Harry Potter in the crowd and Harry found himself being yanked forward by the photographer. The next moment, Lockhart had draped his arm across Harry's shoulders. "Nice big smile Harry," Lockhart instructed cheerfully. "Together you and I rate the front page."

Harry's expression was one of bewilderment as the photo was taken. Lockhart then proceeded to gift Harry with his entire collection of books. Harry managed a muttered thank you as he was dismissed and pushed away in favor of the clamoring female fans.

"That had to be the funniest expression I've ever seen you make."

Harry looked around and found Draco leaning against a bookshelf, smirking at Harry's discomfort. "That'll be a remarkably unattractive picture in the Daily Prophet," Draco chuckled.

"Shut up," Harry retorted laughing.

"Are we playing nicely Draco?" asked a cool male voice.

Harry swallowed nervously at the sight of Lucius Malfoy. The man was impeccably dressed and every strand of his long, pale blond hair was in place. Harry was clean and properly dressed, but he felt that he looked like a ruffian compared to Draco and his father.

"Yes Father," Draco said, his posture perfectly straight and his face somber.

"Lucius Malfoy," Lucius said by way of introduction, reaching out to shake Harry's hand. "We meet at last." His gray eyes drifted briefly to Harry's forehead, eyeing the scar there.

"Hello sir," Harry said politely. He could see Remus watching him from a few feet away, keeping a close eye on Lucius.

"How fortunate that you should be placed in Slytherin house with my son," Lucius commented smoothly. "Draco speaks highly of you."

"Thank you," Harry responded. "I really appreciate his company."

"I'm sure that you'll both be a credit to the noble house of Slytherin," Lucius went on. "Do let me know if you have need of anything." He nodded politely to Harry before moving on.

Harry struggled not to shudder. Lucius made him nervous. Draco gave Harry a sympathetic look. "It's approval, at least," Draco said quietly. "Even if he sees our friendship as a political strategy."

"It's fine," Harry said, shaking off his discomfort. "As long as we can still be friends, he can think what he likes. I'll see you soon." He gave Draco a fleeting smile before leaving the shop with Remus.

The rest of their shopping trip had been uneventful, but the Weasleys hadn't been so lucky. There'd been a confrontation between Lucius and Arthur after Lucius had made snide comments about the Weasleys lack of money and called Arthur a disgrace. The result was a tussle between the two patriatchs just outside one of the shops.

Draco had wisely not spoken to his parents of having any affiliation with Ron. It wouldn't have been received well. His father despised the Weasleys. Draco didn't particularly like Ron, but they spent a good amount of time together because of Harry. It was best if Lucius wasn't aware of that, since it was likely to make him far less approving of Harry.

Harry and Ron had thought it quite funny that someone as dignified as Lucius had got caught up in a fist fight. But Harry felt bad for Draco. The incident was surely embarrassing. And poor Arthur had received a furious, and shrill, lecture from his wife over the whole thing.

Harry wondered if the house elf would come back to warn him away from Hogwarts again. He couldn't remember the house elf's name and still had no idea what it had been going on about. But, the summer break drew to a close and the house elf stayed away.


	10. Year Two: Part One

Gilderoy Lockhart was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.

Harry had a feeling that he wouldn't enjoy Lockhart teaching a class. The man seemed rather conceited and pompous. His accomplishments were impressive, but Harry was dreading being in his class.

Their first class with Lockhart was enough to solidify Harry's belief that Lockhart would be a terrible teacher. The Slytherins shared the class with the Hufflepuffs, which was a nice enough arrangement. But Harry did notice that a few of his classmates were gazing at their professor with besotted expressions.

Lockhart started the class by handing everyone a quiz. But, the quiz was made up of questions about Lockhart.

"I can't do this," Draco muttered. "I'll explode from trying not to laugh."

"I know," Harry whispered, a grin tugging at his lips.

"Bloody imbecile," Blaise noted, eyeing the list of questions with horror. "I don't care what his favorite color is."

"Quiet please," Lockhart chided them cheerfully. "Just answer the questions."

Harry and Blaise guessed on every question. Draco amused himself by writing down increasingly ridiculous answers. Harry glanced at the blond's paper and bit down on his lip to stifle his giggles. Draco had written something about a romantic relationship with a troll. He couldn't wait to see what Lockhart thought of Draco's answers.

Once time was up, the quizzes were collected and Professor Lockhart sifted through them, his eyes darting over the answers. He tsked and shook his head mildly. "I see that many of you neglected your summer reading," he chided them. Then he frowned and peered at one of the sheets of parchment. "Mr. Malfoy... You wrote down that my ideal gift would be a room full of mirrors and that my life's ambition is to become a beautiful ballerina."

"Was that not right?" Draco asked innocently. "I read a lot of books this summer. Maybe I got them mixed up?" he suggested. Beside him, Blaise shaking with suppressed laughter. Harry was stubbornly staring at the table as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Perhaps you should study a little harder," Lockhart suggested, his smile staying firmly in place. "Wouldn't want you to make such errors in the future." He glanced down at Draco's paper again and his eyes widened slightly. He hastily set the parchment aside in favor of another quiz. He eagerly praised one of the Hufflepuffs for knowing that his favorite color was lilac, making the girl blush.

Class continued with Lockhart proudly unveiling a cage full of Cornish pixies. He opened the cage and released them into the room, creating pandemonium.

Draco was not pleased. While some of the pixies had taken to destroying books and breaking things, one of them seemed interested in Draco's hair. The little blue menace dived right for the slicked back blond hair, grasping at it in its fists. Draco yelped and pulled away before he backhanded the creature and knocked it onto the floor.

Many of the Slytherins had pulled out their wands and began freezing the pixies with a useful charm. The Hufflepuffs scuttled around, gathering up the fallen pixies and stuffing them back into the cage. Lockhart cheered them on from behind his desk.

When class dismissed, Harry hurried into the hall. He really didn't want to give Lockhart the opportunity to talk to him. Blaise and Draco followed him, casting disgusted looks toward the classroom.

"He has no idea what he's doing," Blaise stated. "This class is going to be useless."

Draco agreed, but he was a bit preoccupied with his hair. He patted at it cautiously, wincing when he realized how mussed it was. "There's no time to go back to the common room," he fretted. "McGonagall will kill me if I'm late."

"Come on then," Harry sighed, steering Draco toward a nearby bathroom. Blaise helpfully moved to a sink and turned on the water, adjusting the temperature. In the next moment, Harry and Blaise were putting their wet hands to Draco's hair, completely destroying the gel that he'd used to fix it that morning.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked, looking confused and worried.

Harry just hummed and used his fingers to comb through Draco's hair. It was far more cooperative than Harry's hair. Blaise was gently twisting some of the stands together, carefully adjusting them to his liking.

"There we go," Blaise said pulling his hands away. He examined their handiwork, looking mildly impressed. "Honestly, I think it looks better this way."

Draco's pale blond locks were now lightly tousled. The lingering gel caused it to remain in the style that Harry and Blaise had coaxed it into. It gave him a more relaxed appearance. "Are you sure it's alright?" he asked anxiously, stepping over to one of the mirrors and looking himself over.

"I like it," Harry said helpfully. "We've got to get to class now though."

After their classes, Ron and Hermione met them in the library before dinner. Hermione noticed Draco's hair immediately.

"It looks nice," she informed him.

"Thank you Granger," Draco said, reaching up to tuck a stand behind his ear. "I may keep the style, though I think I'll want it a bit shorter."

"One of Lockhart's Cornish pixies went after his hair," Harry explained.

"He set the pixies on your lot as well?" Ron asked. "Complete nutter. Neville ended up hanging from a chandelier."

"Professor accomplished so many amazing things," Hermione said defensively. "It's a wonderful opportunity to learn from him."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Hermione got ten points for Gryffindor for getting nearly every answer right on his quiz," he informed the three Slytherins. Hermione blushed.

Harry kindly changed the subject, redirecting their attention to the homework they'd been assigned.

When it was time for dinner, they headed for the Great Hall. They stopped when a first year Gryffindor boy approached Harry. He was grasping a camera in his hands.

"Hi Harry," the boy said a bit breathlessly. "My name is Colin Creevey. I'm muggleborn. I've read all about you though. Seamus and Dean said you're friendly every though you're in Slytherin," he added, casting an uncertain look at Draco and Blaise. They rolled their eyes.

"I- Nice to meet you Colin," Harry managed, his cheeks growing pink as people passes by them, glancing at them curiously.

"Could I get a picture of you?" Colin asked hopefully. "Dean said that I could use a special potion to make the pictures move," he said excitedly. "I want to prove that I've met you. And could you maybe sign it?"

"You want a signed photograph?" Blaise asked incredulously.

"Who's handing out signed photographs?"

Harry suddenly wished that the stone floors would swallow him up. Of course Lockhart would choose that exact moment to go to the Great Hall. Harry winced as Lockhart draped an arm across his shoulder. Other students either glanced back curiously as they went by, or they stopped and watched Harry's embarrassment.

"I should have known," Lockhart chortled fondly. He smiled winningly at Colin. "Why don't you get a picture of both of us? We'll both sign it for you."

Colin was ecstatic. He snapped a few pictures, barely able to hold the camera still. Then he ran off, his face lit up with a delighted smile.

To Harry's dismay, Lockhart kept him clamped to his side with a paternal smile. "You'll want to be careful Harry," Lockhart chided gently. "Handing out signed photos might seem a bit big-headed to your classmates. You've not reached the level of fame I'm bound to contend with. I carry a stack of signed portraits at all times for my fans. You're not there yet," he concluded, giving Harry a fond squeeze.

"We'll watch out for Harry's big head," Blaise said helpfully, prying Harry away from the professor with a smirk. Ron chuckled, earning a scowl from Harry.

Draco shot Lockhart and exasperated look before pulling Harry toward the Great Hall. He snorted when he heard Ron say "I can't believe you fancy that git." Hermione swept past them with a huff, her cheeks a bright shade of pink.

"Kill me now," Harry groaned, allowing Draco to manhandle him to the Slytherin table.

"And you say I'm the dramatic one," Draco reminded him.

Harry smiled reluctantly and rolled his eyes. Some of the older Slytherins had witnessed the scene, and a few sneered at Harry in disgust. But others simply teased him over the matter.

"Lockhart's a conceited idiot," said Adrian Pucey, a fourth year. "Don't let it bother you." Warrington Davis nodded his agreement.

Harry was still horribly embarrassed, but at least there were some who didn't believe that he wasn't a glory hound like Lockhart.

HP~HP~HP

"This isn't how I wanted to make the house team," Draco complained, following Harry to the Quidditch pitch.

Harry slowed his pace and watched the blond frown at his new broom. It was a brand new Nimbus Two Thousand and One. It was the fastest model on the market. And Lucius Malfoy had purchased enough brooms for the entire Slytherin Quidditch team. Of course, the "gift" had come with a few helpful hints about the Malfoy heir's abilities at the sport. So Draco had been given a place on the team as a Chaser.

"You'll prove that you deserve to play with us," Harry said firmly.

"My father purchased my spot on the team," Draco snapped irritably.

"I know," Harry retorted. "Pouting isn't going to change that."

Draco scowled and grumbled that he wasn't pouting, though he was dangerously close to pouting. Now he'd have to listen to people suggesting that he had no real talent and had to buy his way in.

"You'll be great," Harry said firmly, looping his arm through Draco's and pulling him along.

Unfortunately, they arrived at the pitch to find Marcus Flint, their captain, arguing with Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor captain. It had been raining the night before, so they were standing in muddy grass. Ron and Hermione were standing just behind the Gryffindor team, anxiously watching the confrontation between the two captains. Oliver impatiently snatched the parchment that Flint offered and read it over. "Snape gave you permission to use the pitch to train your new Chaser," Oliver muttered. He looked over and eyed Draco. "But I booked the pitch."

"We've got a note," Flint replied smugly.

"Why don't we share?" Harry suggested. He winced at the incredulous looks he got from both teams. "It can't hurt. You don't have to show off new strategies. Both teams need the pitch today."

Oliver frowned and turned to his team. Fred and George shrugged carelessly. Alicia, Angelina and Katie, the three chasers, looked nervously at the Slytherins. "We'd have to agree on some rules," Angelina said.

"Like no bludgers," Katie piped in.

Flint heaved a sigh but set about discussing guidelines with Oliver. Amazingly, after ten minutes, both teams were in the air doing training drills. A few insults were exchanged, but it didn't escalate into fighting.

Harry glanced away from the twins as they laughed and flew in dizzying circles around their team mates. On the ground, he could see that McGonagall and Snape were standing next to Ron and Hermione.

Harry abandoned the snitch in favor of flying toward the people on the ground. He'd already caught the practice snitch twice while the Gryffindor Seeker hadn't managed it at all. Harry landed easily, grimacing as he sunk into the damp earth slightly.

"We came out to check on all of you," McGonagall said. "I didn't realize the Professor Snape had given his team permission to use the pitch. That's what the schedule is for," she added, giving Snape a sour look."

Snape was unapologetic. "We have a new Chaser," he responded, his eyes following Draco's form in the air.

"I never imagined that they'd share the pitch," McGonagall muttered in bewilderment.

"Harry suggested it," Ron said proudly. Harry smiled.

A moment later, Flint and Oliver landed and approached them. "What's going on?" Oliver asked, glancing between Harry and the professors. Usually, only Madam Hooch ever attended Quidditch practice, and that was seldom.

"We wanted to be sure that there was no fighting going on," McGonagall responded. "I must say that I'm impressed with the good sportsmanship being shown here."

"And inter-house cooperation," Snape added.

"Fifty points to Slytherin and Gryffindor," McGonagall said, a slight smile curving her lips. "And an extra five point to Slytherin for Mr. Potter's initiative."

The two captains looked pleased and Flint gave Harry a hearty pat on the back. "Back in the air Potter," he instructed, nodding to the professors before taking off on his broom again.

Snape watched as Potter rejoined his team in the air. "I suppose he's not completely hopeless as a Slytherin," Snape commented.

"That's my boy," McGonagall murmured, casting one last fond look towards Harry before turning and returning to the castle.

By the end of practice, Draco had cheered up considerably. They'd been awarded house points and he'd played quite well with the rest of the team. Flint had seemed quite pleased with Draco.

Draco's bad mood returned when Filch gave him and Harry detention from tracking mud into the castle. Snape found them just after lunch to give them the details for their detention.

"Mr. Malfoy, you will be serving detention with Filch," Snape drawled. "You'll be cleaning the trophy room without magic. You are to report there in half an hour."

Draco looked appalled. His Saturday free time was going to be used up by a stupid detention. "I don't clean," he said incredulously. "That's what house elves are for."

"Bad luck mate," Blaise said sympathetically, patting Draco on the back.

"Mr. Potter, you'll be assisting Professor Lockhart with... answering his fanmail," Snape said, his expression one of disgust.

"No," Harry groaned. "Please, Professor Snape. Anything but that. Anything," he begged.

"Professor Lockhart requested you specifically," Snape replied simply. He turned to leave their common room, then turned back. "You have my condolences." Blaise snorted with laughter as the potions master left the Slytherin common room.

Harry sank into the couch cushions miserably. "It could be worse Harry," Blaise said, calming himself and sitting down in one of the arm chairs.

"I'm sorry I can't go with you," Draco muttered quietly, sitting down next to Harry. For the moment, his own detention was forgotten.

Harry offered a tight smile. "I'll be alright," Harry assured them. "At least no one else will be there to see it. Maybe I'll have funny stories to come back and tell you."

"There you go," Blaise responded encouragingly. "You'll come back and tell us about all the ridiculous things he says."

It was with that thought in mind that Harry went to detention and suffered through Lockhart's rambling. Harry busied himself with putting addresses on the envelopes while Lockhart read through some of the fan letters. Periodically, he'd offer pointless advise like "Fame is a fickle friend Harry. Remember that." When he'd uttered the words "Celebrity is as celebrity does," Harry had nearly bit through his lip from trying not to laugh. What did that even mean?

"Kill."Harry sat up straighter, shooting Lockhart a look of alarm. But Lockhart was happily signing away at pictures of himself. And it hadn't been Lockhart's voice...

"Let me rip you. Let me tear you.""What?" Harry yelped.

"What?" Lockhart asked, sitting back in his chair and eyeing Harry.

"Didn't you hear that voice?" Harry asked, his heart rate rising in fear.

"I think you're getting a bit drowsy," Lockhart replied with a little chuckle. He glanced at the little clock in his desk. "And no wonder! Dinner is nearly over. You should run along now. Time flies when you're having fun."

Harry hurried from Lockharts office, feeling nauseous. Lockhart apparently couldn't hear the voice, but Harry could still hear it. He moved quickly down the hall, following the sounds of the voice.

"Blood... I smell blood."

"Harry!"

Harry whirled around, relief flooding though him when he saw Draco, Blaise, Ron and Hermione. "Did you hear that voice?" he asked desperately.

"What voice?" Hermione asked, looking Harry over anxiously. He was pale and out of breath.

"I heard it in Lockhart's office and followed it down the hall," Harry explained, turning to look the other way anxiously. "I think it's... Something's wrong." He took off again, this time with his friends close behind him.

Harry slowed as he heard the sound of his own feet splashing through water. He looked down in surprise, realizing that there was water covering the floor of the entire cooridor. His friends stopped behind him, Draco complaining over the state of his shoes.

Harry could see something red reflected in the water, so he turned to look at the wall. His eyes widened in horror.

"The chamber of secrets has been opened," Hermione read out, looking nauseated. "Traitors to the heir, beware."

"It's written in blood," Blaise muttered, wrinkling his nose. Then he caught sight of something else. "Oh Merlin..."

Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, was hanging from a sconce by her tail. Her entire body was rigid. They certainly hated Mrs. Norris, but it seemed like a horrible way to die.

Things only grew worse when Filch appeared. He hobbled toward the five students, likely eager to add more detentions. He froze when he spotted the dangling body of his beloved cat.

"You brats have murdered my cat!" he howled, enraged and devastated.

"No!" Ron objected. "We found her like this!"

Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape came up the hall a moment later. Their pace quickened at the sight of the scene in the hallway. Their eyes moves over the ominous words on the wall before they exchanged a wordless look.

"It's them that's done it," Filch said, his voice shaking as he pointed at the students. "You saw what the they were on the wall. They killed my cat."

"She's not dead," Dumbledore said, peering at the cat. "She has been petrified."

"I swear we didn't do it," Harry said, his gaze pleading.

"I believe you," Dumbledore assured him.

"My cat has been petrified. I want to see some punishment!" Filch shouted. He wilted slightly when Snape glared at him.

"We will be able to cure her," Dumbledore replied calmly. "Professor Sprout has a supply of mandrakes growing. It will take time, but once they've finished maturing, we can use them reverse this." He carefully removed Mrs. Norris from the sconce and led Mr. Filch away.

"Are all of you alright?" McGonagall asked, gazing at the students in concern.

"Did you see anything?" Snape asked impatiently.

"Nothing sir," Blaise said, noting that Draco was frowning at the writing on the wall again.

"Off to the common rooms then," McGonagall said briskly. She patted Harry on the shoulder before leading Hermione and Ron away.

Snape led the remaining three students toward their common room. Draco looked around to make sure that no one else was around. "Harry heard a voice," Draco blurted out, though he kept his voice down.

Snape stopped and looked at Harry. Harry flushed and looked down at his shoes.

"What voice?" Snape asked sharply.

"We don't know. The rest of us couldn't hear it," Draco explained. "I know how bad that sounds... It must mean something. Harry hears a voice and then we happen to find a petrified cat and those words written in blood?"

"Very strange," Snape agreed pensively. "But, let me worry about that for now. You are not to go wandering about with that invisibility cloak."

Harry winced. He should have known that Snape would know about his cloak. "I'll have a house elf bring you dinner," Snape informed Harry as they stopped at the entrance to the common room.

Harry thanked his head of house and then allowed Draco and Blaise to pull him into the common room. Harry wasn't sure that he'd be able to eat a thing. Hearing voices wasn't a good sign. Harry was quite grateful that Draco had chosen not to mention that in front of Minnie. She'd be so worried. As it was, the nervousness in Draco's face was enough to make Harry feel nauseous.

HP~HP~HP

Blaise wrapped his scarf more securely around his neck, cold wind kissing what bare skin it could find. His eyes scanned the green clad figures and easily spotted Draco's pale blond hair. Draco was playing well, easily avoiding the Gryffindor players and catching the quaffle when Adrian threw it to him.

Harry was circling the pitch, watching for the snitch. He dodged a bludger that barely missed smashing against his shoulder. Blaise released a sigh of relief, only to have the air catch in his throat as the bludger shuddered to a halt and pelted toward Harry again.

"Oh Salazar," Blaise gasped, lurching to his feet. He turned his head and caught Ron's frightened gaze from a few seats down. For the sake of appearances, Blaise had sat with Crabbe and Goyle to watch the match between Slytherin and Gryffindor. But at that moment, he really wished that he was sitting with Ron and Hermione.

"That bludger isn't supposed to chase Potter, is it?" Goyle asked, frowning as his gaze followed Harry's flight.

"No," Blaise responded through clenched teeth. "I think someone tampered with it."

"That could kill him," Crabbe noted.

"Malfoy's gonna be mad," Goyle added.

Blaise wanted to shake them. He didn't have the patience for their dimwitted commentary. Someone had to help Harry.

"Uh oh," a concerned voice echoed over the field. Lee Jordan of Gryffindor was the commentating for the game and he'd clearly noticed Harry's plight. "Harry Potter had a rogue bludger."

Blaise saw Draco nearly drop the quaffle. The blond hastily tossed the quaffle to another Slytherin Chaser before flying after Harry and the bludger. Draco appeared to be shouting, but Blaise couldn't hear. To his astonishment, the Weasley twins abruptly zoomed away from the rest of their team and positioned themselves with a decent space between them.

Blaise could barely hear himself think with all the shouting going on. There was an exciting match going on along with a bizarre battle with a possessed bludger. There was far too much going on at once.

Draco was racing along at Harry's side, shouting instructions that the audience couldn't hear. Draco veered off as Harry made a sharp turn to put some distance between himself and the bludger. He was cradling his right arm to his chest and gripping the broom with his left.

Harry looped around and flew toward the twins. He flew right between them and the twins swung their beater bats, knocking the bludger back.

"Finite Incantatum!" Draco shouted, pointing his wand at the bludger as it started shooting back toward them. This time, a Slytherin beater swooped in and knocked the bludger away from the others.

The bludger was no longer targeting Harry. Blaise dropped back into his seat, scrubbing at his face with shaking hands as relief flooded through him. He peeked warily through his fingers to see that Draco, Harry and the twins had returned to the game. Harry was still holding his right arm against his torso, clearly injured.

"They've seen the snitch!" Lee cried out, drawing attention to the two Seekers.

Harry was leaning foward on his broom, gaining speed as the Gryffindor Seeker struggled to keep up. Harry lifted his good arm suddenly and snatched the golden snitch out of the air. Cheers erupted in the stands as Harry landed.

Blaise began trying to push his way into the pitch when Harry dropped to his knees. Crabbe and Goyle helpfully began to nudge people aside, clearing a path for Blaise to get through.

Draco landed at Harry's side, kneeling next to his friend. "Can't stay out of trouble can you?" Draco asked, panting.

"We won," Harry responded blearily. His arm was throbbing horribly.

Hermione, Ron and Blaise made it to Harry's side but were careful not to crowd him. Hagrid had lumbered up behind them along with Professor Lockhart. The other Professors were hurrying toward them.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"No," Harry managed, gasping at the pain. "I think my arm is broken."

"I can fix that right up," Lockhart assured him, squatting down next to Harry.

"N-No," Harry blurted out. "Not you. I can wait until I get to the hospital-"

"Oh nonsense," Lockhart shushed him, pulling out his wand with a flourish. "This won't hurt a bit. It's a simple charm. I've used it countless times." He pointed his wand at Harry's right forearm and waved it grandly.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut as a strange sensation slowly spread from his shoulder down to his fingertips. Was it possible to deflate an arm? Because that's what it felt like. It was quite unpleasant.

Draco gasped, staring at Harry's arm. He was horrified when Lockhart cautiously picked up the arm and was able bend the hand all the way back. The sight made Draco's stomach churn.

"Well, that can sometimes happen," Lockhart muttered with an awkward laugh. "But Harry doesn't feel any pain, and clearly the bones aren't broken."

"Broken?" Hagrid growled. "There's no bones left."

"Yes, well-" Lockhart floundered, only to be cut off by a furious Professor McGonagall.

"You've done quite enough," McGonagall said sharply. "Mr. Potter is to go straight to the hospital wing." She gave Draco an expectant look. "I'm sure that you and your friends could manage that."

"Yes, Professor," Draco nodded. He shifted and carefully helped Harry up. Blaise, Ron and Hermione moved closer, casting uncertain looks at Harry's boneless arm.

Crabbe and Goyle approached them as they began to leave the pitch. "We can clear the way for you," Goyle offered. "We saw a first year with a camera trying to get a good look."

"Thank you," Harry said, before Draco could dismiss them. He didn't really feel up to facing Colin Creevey and his camera. "That would be helpful."

Crabbe and Goyle proudly positioned themselves just in front of Harry and his friends and led the way to the castle. They sneered and growled at anyone that got too close. Blaise discussed the game with Ron while Hermione and Draco fussed over Harry.

Madam Pomfrey was furious when Draco explained what had happened. Harry was forced onto a bed and made to drink a potion that tasted truly awful. "You're in for a rough night Potter," she said grimly. "Re-growing bones is a nasty business."

Harry friends were quickly sent away so that Harry could rest. Harry made himself as comfortable as possible in the bed, deciding that he'd prefer to try to sleep through as much of the bone growing process as he could manage. Once he was healed, he intended to figure out why a bludger had tried so hard to kill him.


	11. Year Two: Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm humbled and so grateful for all the wonderful support I've gotten for this story. You guys are fantastic and I'm so glad that you're all enjoying this story so much. I've got so much planned for this and I'm so excited to share it with all of you.

Harry woke with a quiet groan. His right arm was burning with pain. He supposed that it meant that his bones were growing back, but that thought did little to comfort him at that moment.

"Kill. Kill."

It was that strange whispering voice that nobody else seemed to hear.

His eyes slid open and he jumped slightly when he found a house elf leaning over him. It was the house elf that had come to him during the summer.

"What are you doing here?" Harry hissed, looking around the infirmary. The hospital wing was dark and he couldn't see anyone else. Luckily, there was moonlight gleaming outside, lending enough light for Harry to see his little visitor. He reached for his glasses and slid them into his face with his left hand.

"Harry Potter didn't listen," the house elf fretted, wringing his hands. "Harry Potter must go home. Dobby thought his bludger would make Harry Potter see that Hogwarts is not safe."

Dobby! That was his name. Wait a minute... "You made that bludger chase after me?" Harry demanded.

Dobby gave a sad little nod. "Dobby feels most aggrieved sir. Dobby had to iron his hands." He lifted his hands to display the dingy bandages that were haphazardly wrapped around his hands.

Harry sighed in aggravation. "I don't suppose you could tell me why you're trying to kill me," he muttered.

"Not kill you, sir," Dobby insisted fervently, sitting down at the foot of Harry's bed. "Never kill you. Dobby remembers what it was like before Harry Potter triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. We house elves were treated like vermin, sir. Of course, Dobby is still treated like vermin," he added, his voice wobbling a bit before he dissolved into loud, sobbing. He blew his nose wetly into the old pillowcase he was wearing.

Harry sat still, his irriration withering away into pity. The other house elves that he'd met seemed content with their lives and servitude. Clearly Dobby was different, and desperately unhappy.

Before Harry could say anything to soothe the sobbing elf, they heard a sound. It was like a door opening somewhere nearby in the castle. Dobby sat up, ceasing his crying at once.

"Listen," Dobby whispered urgently, his bulging eyes focused intently on Harry. "Terrible things are about to happen at Hogwarts. Harry Potter must not stay here now that history is to repeat itself."

"You mean this has happened before?" Harry asked anxiously.

Dobby made a strange sound of panic. He seized the bottle of Skele-gro that Madam Pomfry had left on the nightstand and began to bash himself in the head with it.

Harry snatched the bottle away impatiently. He grasped the front of Dobby's pillowcase and pulled him closer. "When did this happen before? Who's doing it now?" Harry asked.

"Dobby cannot say," Dobby responded apologetically. "Dobby only wants Harry Potter to be safe."

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Dobby snapped his fingers and disappeared. Harry layed back down and closed his eyes, feigning sleep. He couldn't help peeking as Dumbledore walked in, levitated a body ahead of himself. Minerva and Pomfrey were close behind him.

"What happened?" Pomfrey asked shakily.

"There's been another attack," Minerva told her grimly. "He's been petrified."

Harry swallowed hard, his heart racing. A student had been petrified, like Mrs. Norris."

"Maybe he took a picture of his attacker," Minerva said hopefully.

There was a pause and Harry desperately wanted to ask what was happening. And then Minerva spoke again. "What can this mean Albus?" she asked.

"It means that Hogwarts is no longer safe," Dumbledore responded gravely. "It is as we feared Minerva. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened again."

The voices grew quieter and Harry could no longer understand what they were saying. He closed his eyes as he heard footsteps approaching his bed. A familiar hand slid through his hair gently. Harry relaxed slightly at the sensation.

"I should have known that you'd be awake when when you shouldn't be."

Harry opened his eyes to find Minerva looking down at him in indulgent fondness. "I'm sorry," Harry said softly.

"It's alright," Minerva sighed. "We should have checked on you before speaking freely." She ran gentle fingers over his bandaged arm. "How are you feeling?" she asked him, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"It hurts," he admitted quietly.

"We'll see if Poppy can do something to ease the pain," she assured him. A scowl crossed appeared on her face. "Lockhart's lucky that I'm not allowed to curse him. I've told him that he's never to point his wand at you again. If he does, he may just find his wand in an uncomfortable location." She sighed and cupped Harry's face in her hands. "I won't let him endanger you again."

Harry accepted a hug, relaxing against her. Minerva McGonagall was serious, stern and not to be trifled with, but she genuinely cared for the students. And Harry was pleased to be able to see her in moments of unrestrained affection. It was warm and comforting.

"I think this is what having a mother feels like," Harry murmured.

Minerva pulled back to meet his gaze, her eyes wide and damp.

"I don't remember my mum," Harry said, blinking rapidly to hold off his tears. "But, I think you're doning a good job in her place."

Minerva hugged him again, stroking his hair. "I love you, my sweet boy," she said.

"I love you too Minnie," Harry responded, his voice muffled against her shoulder. He allowed her to settle him back down on the bed and plump his pillows. He enjoyed the feeling of her hand holding his as she called to Poppy to request something for pain.

Harry drank the potion that was offered and was soon drifting off to sleep with his Minnie stroking his hair.

When Harry woke, he found that his right arm still hurt, though not nearly as badly. Poppy was checking him over when the infirmary doors burst open. Draco marched into the room followed closely by Blaise, Ron and Hermione.

Draco's eyes were a bit red and he looked quite tired. Blaise looked exhausted as well, and maybe a bit annoyed.

"Are you boys quite well?" Poppy asked, eyeing Draco and Blaise with concern.

"Perfectly," Blaise replied tartly. "This one," he indicated Draco with an accusing finger, "was up half the night fussing and complaining. He's worried about Potter. He's mad at Lockhart. 'Why is Lockhart so stupid?' 'Harry could have died!' All night." Blaise groaned and rubbed at his face before looking over at Harry. "Tell your boyfriend that you're fine so he'll shut up!" Blaise demanded.

Draco blushed furiously while Ron guffawed loudly. Hermione giggled but did her best to smother the sound with her hands. Even Poppy seemed to be struggling not to laugh. She went back to her office shaking her head.

Harry bit his lip and blushed slightly. "I'm alright," he said. "The pain is nearly gone and I can move my arm again."

Draco seemed to recover himself and moved closer to sit on the edge of the bed. His cheeks were still a bit pink. "Lockhart's an idiot," he said fiercely.

"How can you defend him?" Ron asked Hermione.

"Anyone can make a mistake," Hermione responded. "He's done a lot of great things. And he was trying to help Harry."

"By de-boning him?" Ron retorted with a smirk.

"Anyway," Blaise said loudly, cutting off Hermione's argument. "I think the murderous bludger is a bigger concern. If Lockhart ends up killing Harry, it'll be by accident. And at least we're likely to see it coming. Focus on the bludger," he said firmly.

"It was the house elf," Harry told them. "Dobby was trying to get me to leave Hogwarts. He said that history was going to repeat itself."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Leave it to Harry Potter to almost get murdered by a house elf," he said.

"Did you say Dobby?" Draco asked, sounding breathless and startled.

"Yes," Harry nodded. "Why?"

"Dobby is a Malfoy house elf," Draco said looking horrified. Then his expression turned furious. "Dobby!" he shouted. "I know you can hear me! Attend to me now!" he demanded with a petulant stomp of his foot.

Dobby appeared on the other side of Harry's bed, cowering on the floor in fear.

"What were you thinking?" Draco hissed, forcing himself to stay seated on the bed. He'd be tempted to strangle the stupid creature if he got within arm's reach. "You could have killed him."

"Dobby would never kill Harry Potter," Dobby said meekly. "Dobby wanted Harry Potter to be safe."

"He said that terrible things were going to happen," Harry added. "Things that have happened before. He was trying to help. And last night, a student was petrified... Colin Creavey."

"Blimey," Ron gasped, eyeing the curtains that were closed around the bed that Colin's body rested on.

Draco thought for a moment looking at Dobby. "Do you know about this because of my father?" he asked slowly. Dobby fidgeted but didn't speak. "Tell me Dobby. What do you know?"

Dobby wailed and began slamming his head against the floor. Hermione made an odd whimpering sound. "Make him stop!" she cried. "Please, he'll hurt himself."

"That's enough Dobby," Draco said sharply. Dobby stopped, lifting his head to gaze at Draco with watery eyes. "You can't do this any more. I'm glad that you want to protect Harry, but this isn't the way to do it. I'll watch over him, I promise."

"Us too," Ron piped up helpfully. Hermione and Blaise nodded.

"I won't tell my father what you've done," Draco went on. "You won't be in trouble and you are not to punish yourself any further for this. It's forgiven. But if you hurt Harry again, I'll make you suffer," Draco added ominously.

"Yes, young master Malfoy," Dobby nodded. He gave Harry one more anxious look and disappeared.

"One of my house elves," Draco sighed heavily, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry Harry."

"It's fine Draco," Harry said reaching over and squeezing Draco's hand. "It's over now. We've got bigger things to worry about."

"Like what my father has done?" Draco suggested bitterly. Draco suddenly felt sick. Had is father done something awful. Awful enough to prompt one of the house elves to do something idiotic to save Harry. Draco couldn't imagine how his father could possibly have anything to do with it, be clearly he was involved.

"We don't know that he's done anything," Harry argued. "Maybe he just knows what's going on. Dobby could have just overheard him talking."

"Then why was Dobby so afraid to tell us that?" Draco asked, becoming more distressed by the moment.

"No point in getting worked up," Ron said calmly. "We don't know anything for certain, so we'll find out."

"Write to your father," Hermione suggested. "He probably couldn't say much in a letter, but it's a start."

Draco nodded his agreement, taking a calming breath.

Poppy came out of her office a moment later and told Harry that he could Ieave, but he had to return if he had any problems at all with his arm. Harry was excited to leave and eagerly followed his friends out of the infirmary. He was surprised to find the Slytherin and Gryffindor Quidditch teams in the hall together. Crabbe and Goyle had been blocking their way.

"Crabbe, Goyle, it's fine," Blaise said impatiently. "Potter's been released."

"What are you all doing here?" Harry asked, looking between the two teams.

"Came to see our favorite Seeker," Flint said, waving Crabbe and Goyle aside. "That was a damn good catch Potter. And with a broken arm..."

"Thanks," Harry responded, looking embarrassed.

"And we should thank the Weasley twins for helping Malfoy save him," Flint went on, turning to Fred and George. "We appreciate it. Very sporting of you." The other Slytherin players nodded.

"Think nothing of it," Fred replied. "Ickle Harry's a good boy. Couldn't let bludger off him like that."

"He's a good friend," George added. "We're happy to look out for a friend."

Flint nodded, holding his hand out to Oliver. "It was a good game," he said gruffly.

"It was," Oliver agreed. "But we intend to beat you next time."

"You're welcome to try," Flint laughed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag made of velvety purple fabric. "A gift from the team," he told Harry handing him the bag. "Rest your arm and you can return to practice next week.

Harry thanked him and watched the two Quidditch teams leave. Ever since their combined practice, there was much less hostility. It was a pleasant change. It would be nice if Slytherins and Gryffindors could get along. It would certainly make it easier for his group of friends.

Harry glanced at Crabbe and Goyle and then at Draco, curiously. "They wanted to help," Draco said with a little shrug.

"Malfoy said we needed to make people leave you alone," Goyle said, looking proud of himself.

"Er- Thanks," Harry said awkwardly. "You did good."

"We've got homework to do later," Draco said. "Do you need help with yours?" he asked the two boys. Their faces brightened and they nodded. "Fine. We'll meet you in the library at three."

Crabbe and Goyle lumbered off. Blaise watched them go, frowning pensively. "They're a bit stupid, but they're useful," he murmured.

"And easily persuaded," Draco added.

"That's terrible," Hermione chided. "You shouldn't treat people that way."

"We're being practical," Blaise informed her dismissively. "Draco and I regarded each the same way last year. In Slytherin, you gain allies. That's how we do things. We've just learned to turn that into friendship. That's what we get for hanging around with Harry Potter I suppose," he drawled.

"Stupid Potter," Draco muttered, though a teasing grin tugged at his lips. Harry laughed, reaching into the bag and discovering that it was full of Honeydukes chocolate.

"But- It's completely ridiculous," Hermione said, looking bewildered. "You all really think that way? We're twelve. Children."

"Slytherins are ambitious," Blaise reminded her. "There's always going to be a bit of a power struggle and we want to come out on top. Plus, we were born at the end of a war. Tensions are still high and clearly the trouble isn't over."

"It's important to know who to trust," Draco added. "We won't hurt Crabbe and Goyle. Even if we can't fully trust them, each side can benefit from our association."

"It just seems so cold," Hermione murmured, frowning.

Draco shrugged. He didn't really expect a Gryffindor to understand.

HP~HP~HP

Nobody was allowed to walk hallways alone anymore. The Professors were obviously nervous and constantly doing head counts to be certain that everyone was accounted for.

When it was announced that they'd be having a dueling club, Harry was rather excited. It would be great to be able to duel properly.

The excitement faded quickly when they found out that Lockhart was leading it. Harry and his friends walked into the Great Hall, which had been set up to accommodate the dueling club. Second year students from all four houses were gathered, eagerly waiting for it to begin.

Lockhart presented himself grandly, as usual. The surprise came when he announced that Professor Snape was to be his assistant. Snape sneered at the word assistant.

"This is going to be hilarious," Blaise muttered. Draco smirked while Ron and Harry laughed. Hermione ignored them, paying careful attention to whatever Lockhart was saying.

Snape and Lockhart positioned themselves to give a demonstration. Lockhart looked confident and a bit smug. He gave them a count of three and then raised his wand. He wasn't nearly quick enough. Snape cried "Expelliarmus!" There was a flash of light and Lockhart was thrown backwards into the wall.

Harry, Draco and Blaise cheered, earning a little smirk from Snape. Ron was giggling at the sight of Lockhart sprawled on the floor. Hermione looked horrified. "Is he alright?" she squealed, looking over at their defense professor anxiously.

"Who care?" Ron asked, waving his hand dismissively.

Lockhart managed to get to his feet, and hastily had the students pair up. Harry and Draco paired up instantly while Ron joined Blaise. Hermione kindly offered to help Neville. Snape paused next to Draco and muttered something in the blond's ear before moving away. Draco grinned.

"He says to give him hell," Draco told Harry quietly. "I guess this is our chance for revenge."

"What do we do?" Harry asked.

"We make this utterly ridiculous," Draco said at once. "We're not going to learn anything from this imbecile anyway."

Harry promptly used a tickling charm that made Draco laugh himself breathless. Draco retaliated with a jelly legs curse. All over the hall, spells were flying wildly. Snape merely watched with mild interest while Lockhart frantically tried to regain control. Neville had a bloody nose. Seamus had a black eye. One of the Ravenclaw girls was leaning against the wall and clutching at her left shoulder.

"Perhaps I should teach you to block unfriendly spells," Lockhart said, looking quite frazzled. "We need a pair of volunteers."

Harry and Draco leapt forward eagerly, facing one another on the platform. "Alright Mr. Potter," Lockhart said. "When Mr. Malfoy points his wand at you, do this." He lifted his wand and gave it an odd sort of wiggle and then dropped it. "Wand's a bit excited," he muttered, bending over to pick it up.

Snape whispered to Draco again before taking a few steps back. Draco winked at Harry but didn't say anything.

"Off you go," Lockhart prompted the pair. "Remember, just do what I did Harry."

"You want me to drop me wand?" Harry asked incredulously.

Ron snorted loudly and Blaise was shaking with laughter.

Draco raised his wand and cried "Sorpensortia!" A long black snake flew our of Draco's wand and landed with a thud between them. The other students screamed and backed away from the platform as it raised up and bared its fangs. Harry lowered his wand and gave Draco an exasperated look. Lockhart looked shocked.

"Don't move Potter," Snape drawled smugly. "I'll get rid of it for you."

"Allow me," Lockhart shouted. He lifted his wand and gave it a complicated wave. The was a bang and the snake flew up into the air before crashing back down to the floor. Furious, the snake hissed loudly and slithered toward Justin Finch-Fletchley. It raised up again and exposed its fangs, ready to strike.

Without thinking, Harry hurried toward the snake. "Leave him alone," Harry blurted out. The hissing stopped and the snake turned its head to look at Harry. Then it turned back to Justin, leaning a bit closer. "Don't do it," Harry said. "Get away from him."

The snake slumped to the floor, coiled around itself, and stared unblinkingly at Harry. Harry sighed in relief. He looked up at Justin and was surprised to see the other boy glaring at him.

"What are you playing at?" Justin shouted before turning and storming out of the hall.

Harry looked around and saw that every one was staring at him in fear and shock. Snape waved his wand and made the snake vanish. He eyed Harry thoughtfully before glancing around at the other students. "Draco, take him out of here," Snape said quietly.

Harry was a little dazed as Draco took hold of his hand and pulled him out of the Great Hall. They didn't stop moving until they had reached the front doors of the castle. They didn't go outside, but the area was abandoned for the moment. Blaise, Ron and Hermione caught up with them just a moment later.

"Why didn't you tell me that you're a parselmouth?" Draco asked, looking a little hurt.

"A what?" Harry asked blankly.

"It means you can talk to snakes," Hermione explained.

"Well, I didn't know," Harry responded. "I've never chatted with a snake before."

"Well, it's not a very common gift," Ron said uncomfortably. "Harry, this is bad."

"Why?" Harry asked in bewilderment. "If I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-"

"That's what you said to it?" Blaise asked, looking a little relieved.

"Are you mental?" Harry asked incredulously. "You were there. You heard me."

"We heard you speaking parseltongue," Blaise said. "Snake language."

"You could have been saying anything," Ron agreed. "Sounded like you were egging the snake on. That's probably why Justin panicked. It was a bit creepy."

"How can I speak another language without knowing it?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Hermione answered, looking quite worried. "But, Salazar Slytherin was famous for being able to talk to snakes. It's why the Slytherin House symbol is a serpent." Blaise and Draco nodded in confirmation.

"So now everyone will think you're his great-great-great-great grandson or something," Ron said.

Harry frowned. He didn't think he was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, but he didn't know for sure. And now he had more questions than answers.

HP~HP~HP

"People think that Potter is the heir of Slytherin?" Blaise scoffed, watching as a few Hufflepuffs scurried out of the library.

Blaise, Draco and Harry had just overheard some students insisting that Harry had chased the snake toward Justin. One boy suggested that Harry was the next dark lord and would kill all the muggleborns. Harry had been horrified. He had moved around to the next round of bookshelves, intent on defending himself, but the other students had hurried away.

"I'm not the heir of Slytherin," Harry muttered petulantly. He frowned, anxiety flitting over his face. "I mean, I can't be. Right?"

"Of course not," Draco simpered, guiding Harry back to the table. Draco sat down next to Harry, gray eyes seeking out worried green. "I'm always with you. You haven't hurt anyone."

"Because you're such an upstanding bloke," Ron snapped. He yelped when Hermione elbowed him. The red head glared at Hermione but deflated a bit at Harry's hurt expression. "Sorry mate. I didn't mean that. I know you two wouldn't do anything like this." He'd grudgingly included Draco in his comment, but Harry was appeased. Draco still looked annoyed, but he gave Ron a stiff little nod.

"Harry wouldn't hurt anyone," Goyle said from his seat at the next table.

Harry smiled slightly. Crabbe and Goyle had become a bit attached to their little group since they'd helped the two with their homework. Harry thought they'd just needed someone to treat them as more than just muscle. They were a bit slow, but they were surprisingly loyal.

"Thanks Greg," Harry said, nodding to the boy. "I appreciate you and Vince looking out for me."

Greg and Vince looked a little embarrassed, but they returned the smile. It was rare for someone to use their first names at school. It was a pleasant change.

"Are you manipulating them?" Hermione hissed at Harry, frowning in disapproval.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I told you that I see the usefulness in having them around," he reminded her. "But I am genuinely grateful to them. And I like them."

Hermione nodded her acceptance and settled back into her chair, looking down at the book in front of her.

They'd done some research and Harry had managed to convince Professor McGonagall to tell them about the Chamber of Secrets. They now knew that there was a legend about a chamber made by Salazar Slytherin, who believed that magical learning should be kept within all magic families. Before leaving the school the chamber had been sealed and could only be opened by the heir. The chamber was said to hold a monster that only the heir could control, that would be used to purge the school of those unworthy to study magic. After a thorough search, no chamber had been found.

Draco's father hadn't been particularly helpful. He had said that Draco and his friends were safe and that they could speak some on the subject over the holidays. "Keep your head down and let the heir get on with it," had been Lucius' only advice.

Of course, Draco could apply the term "friend" very loosely to Ron and Hermione. He wanted them safe for Harry's sake, at least. It was a struggle to accept those two, when he'd been raised to despise muggleborns and blood traitors. But, every day he was confronted with the fact that this muggleborn was talented and clever. She wasn't anything like what Draco's father had led him to expect. And Ron... he was an annoying ginger with atrocious manners, but he was fiercely loyal to his friends, especially Harry.

Draco hadn't expected to encounter such a dilemma. If his father was in any way causing the problems at the school, and it seemed quite likely... That would be devastating. Harry wasn't a muggleborn, but would the heir's monster really know that?

Draco was jolted from his thoughts when Harry stood up. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going to talk to Justin," Harry replied. "I don't want everyone to be afraid of me."

"I'll go with you," Draco replied instantly, standing up.

"I'll go," Ron said firmly. "Being tracked down by two Slytherins won't make Justin feel better." He held one hand up to silence Draco's angry retort. "I'm just saying... I know that you're not a threat, but everyone is already scared."

Draco paused, considering Ron's words. Finally, he nodded. "Be careful," he said, glancing between Harry and Ron.

Harry and Ron left the library and made their way through the castle. They were hoping to catch Justin leaving the Hufflepuff common room. He'd surely be difficult to track down if he was convinced that Harry wanted him dead.

They did find Justin, but not in the way they'd expected. He was lying on the ground, his body stiff. His face was frozen in an expression of shock and fear. Floating in the air nearby, was Nearly Headless Nick. The ghost seemed to be petrified as well.

Harry took in the scene, trying to figure out where the monster could have come from. They had no idea what it was or how big it was. Oddly, the only thing he could see was a trail of spiders scuttling up the wall and out a nearby window. He'd never seen spiders do that. He would have expected it from ants, but not spiders. When he mentioned it to Ron, the red head flinched and moved farther away from the line of spiders.

Unfortunately, Filch found Harry and Ron with the two new victims. He marched them right to Dumbledore's office and left them in the hallway while he happily told the Headmaster that he'd caught the two in the act. Surely they'd be expelled.

When they were finally admitted into the headmaster's office, both boys were pale and anxious. Dumbledore motioned for them to sit and set about pouring them tea.

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry began, feeling a lump forming in his throat, "I know it looks bad. But I swear I didn't hurt anyone."

"I know you didn't," Dumbledore assured him, smiling kindly as he pressed a cup into Harry's shaking hands. "You're not in trouble. Mr. Filch is still upset over his cat. He didn't fully consider the situation he'd walked into. Don't fret boys," he said, including Ron with a nod.

Harry and Ron relaxed slightly. Harry should have known that Dumbledore would believe him. Dumbledore was almost like a grandfather to Harry. He didn't think he could stand it if Dumbledore thought so terribly if him.

"Is there anything you can tell me Harry?" Dumbledore asked. "Anything at all? I'm aware of the voice you heard, and that you can speak parseltongue." He frowned when he saw Harry flinch. "It doesn't make you wicked. Your choices are what make you who you are."

Harry nodded gratefully. "We know the legend about the Chamber of Secrets," he said with a little shrug. "Draco is afraid that his father is involved, but we don't know for sure." He thought for a moment. "I saw some spiders acting strangely; Running along in a line to get out the window. But I can't think of anything else."

Dumbledore nodded, a worried frown creasing his brow. "Thank you," he said quietly. "You two may go. And be careful," he added, reaching out to hug Harry briefly and pat Ron's shoulder fondly. "Stop by to see Minerva," he instructed. "She'll be distressed by this new report."

The boys nodded and left the office. Dumbledore sat back in his chair, frowning thoughtfully.


	12. Year Two: Part Three

The fact that a ghost had been petrified sent the students into a panic. What could do that to a ghost? Most of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were now avoiding Harry. He'd been one of the few Slytherins that had friends from every house, and now most people were afraid to be around him. The Gryffindors were a bit divided. His friendship with Hermione seemed to convince most of them that he wasn't out to harm any muggleborns. The Gryffindor quidditch team was especially supportive of Harry. Though, the twins loved to make a joke of the situation. They liked to refer to Harry as His Majesty, The Speccy Dark Lord.

Slytherins seemed generally unconcerned. Most of them seemed to think that the idea of Harry being the heir of Slytherin was ridiculous. Others seemed to think that even if he was, it wasn't going to effect them anyway. It was oddly soothing to Harry that at least his own house wasn't really treating him any differently. Though it was a little unsettling that several of them were perfectly content with him possibly being the heir of Slytherin.

Harry was relieved to get away from the castle and spend the winter holiday with Remus. The werewolf had been rather anxious to see Harry, especially after hearing about all that had been happening at the school. But Harry was concerned about Remus.

Remus was looking a bit thinner and very tired. His face held a sadness that Harry was sure that he'd seen before on the man's face. But it had become more pronounced and Harry was worried.

Harry glanced at Remus as they decorated the Christmas tree together. "Moony?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes Harry?" the man responded absently, adjusting the fairy lights carefully.

"Will you tell me what's bothering you?" Harry asked hopefully. "And don't tell me it's nothing. I'm not stupid. You and Minnie are my family. I should know about it when you're upset."

Remus took a step away from the tree and sighed heavily. He sat down on the couch and motioned for Harry to join him.

Harry set down his box glittering baubles and sat down next to Remus. His heart clenched at the sight of his guardian's watery gaze.

"Christmas is really difficult," Remus admitted. "I don't have anyone left. My very best friends are all gone and I don't have any family alive. Your father and mother were wonderful people. Pete was shy, but I loved having him around. Sirius-" Remus voice caught and he took a moment to steady himself.

Harry's pulse was racing. Remus had told lots of stories about the Marauders' school days. But this was something deeper then pranks and fun.

"Sirius is your godfather," Remus said softly. "James loved him like a brother. And they both looked after me at the full moon. Peter too. They made my wretched existence worth the pain. And in one night, the one that James trusted most destroyed everything. He betrayed your parents, causing their deaths. And in the same night, he killed Peter. He was arrested, and I was left alone." A few tears fell, but Remus mostly managed to keep himself under control. After so many years, the loss of his dearest friends still felt like a crushing ache.

"You're not alone," Harry murmured, his own eyes damp. "You have me. I'm not really your son, but it's pretty close isn't it? To me, Moony means dad."

Remus pulled Harry closer and hugged him tightly. Harry pressed his face into his Moony's chest, wanting to comfort the werewolf.

"You're enough for me," Remus said, stroking Harry's hair gently. "I think I'll always grieve, but I can't let myself forget the family I have right here." He gave Harry a slight squeeze to emphasize his point. "You just look so much like your father. And sometimes you're shy like Peter. And, Sirius' middle name is Orion."

"Oh!" Harry exclaimed, pulling back with a look of shock. "I didn't know that." He bit his lip thoughtfully. "Should I change it? I mean, it's meant for my animagus form."

"No," Remus said, drawing in a calming breath. "Draco didn't name you for Sirius. I honestly doubt that he knew about it. You're named after a constellation. That name is yours. It suits you in a way."

Harry nodded and gave Remus another quick hug. "Let's have a great Christmas," Harry said. "Our family is small, but we have each other and friends that love us." He stood up and pulled Remus to his feet.

Remus smiled and returned to decorating the tree. He nearly dropped the star he was holding when Harry asked another question.

"Do you ever want to get married?"

"I- Well-" Remus stammered, thoroughly embarrassed. "No, I don't think so."

Harry gave him a skeptical look, that reminded Remus of Lily. "Haven't you ever been in love?"

Remus was horrified to feel himself blush. "Only once," he responded quietly, his throat feeling tight.

Harry nodded slowly, deciding not to push any further. He didn't really know much about that sort of love. But, Harry had a feeling that Remus had loved one of the Marauders. If he had to guess, he'd say that it was Sirius.

Harry left the topic alone and cheerfully coaxed Remus into making biscuits and hot chocolate. They spent their days together, occasionally visiting with the Weasleys. It did both of them good to set the rest of their worries aside for a little while.

Minerva was able to join them on Christmas day. She was delighted when Harry had leapt from his seat at the sight of her and rushed to embrace her warmly. He was as sweet as ever and she mourned the fact that he was growing up so quickly.

Harry spent part of Christmas as a cat. His feline antics seemed to amuse Remus, so he indulged a bit. Minerva looked oddly proud when Orion climbed straight up the middle of the Christmas tree. The black cat pawed at the star and knocked it down from its place on top. Then Orion smugly draped himself over the top of the tree, his legs splayed awkwardly on surrounding limbs to support his weight. It was worth it when he heard Remus wheezing with laughter.

"Bravo," Minerva said with a little nod. "But how will you get down?"

Orion cocked his head to one side and then looked down at the tree. After a pause, he let out a loud meow of distress. It made Remus laugh even harder. But, the werewolf did take pity on him and walked over to pluck the black cat out of the tree.

"Draco will be disappointed that he missed that," Remus chortled, stroking the black fur affectionately.

Orion huffed and swatted at him playfully.

HP~HP~HP

Draco had mixed feelings about the end of the winter holidays. He had been eager to see Harry again. But he wasn't looking forward to the chaos that was sure to come. He definitely didn't want to tell Harry about a discussion he'd had with his father, but he knew that he'd have to.

"Why are you so quiet today?" Harry asked. It was their first night back and Draco had spoken very little all day.

Blaise looked over at them as he was tugging on a soft pair pajama bottoms. "I don't think I've ever seen you so quiet," he added.

"Just thinking," Draco said, looking down at his hands. He bit his lip, glancing at Harry nervously. "Listen, I asked my father about the Chamber of Secrets," he said quietly.

"And?" Harry asked curiously.

"He confirmed that it had been opened before," Draco said. "He wouldn't tell me who did it, but they were expelled. He also said-" Draco swallowed hard. "He said that last time, a mud- muggleborn died."

Harry paled. "What?" came his horrified whisper.

"I can't believe your father is being so casual about sending his only son to school with a monster," Blaise said shaking his head.

"He's not worried," Draco responded, sounding miserable. "Apparently, the monster somehow knows. Father says that I'm not in any danger."

"But there are lots of students that could get hurt," Harry objected. "Hermione..."

"I know," Draco acknowledged softly. "I'm sorry Harry. Father wouldn't tell me anything else."

Harry nodded. He want convinced that Lucius merely had knowledge of the situation. It was too much of a coincidence that the Malfoy house elf would show up to warn Harry meet months before the chamber was opened. Harry didn't voice this thought to Draco. Draco was clever, and surely wouldn't need Harry to point it out. But, Draco was also clinging to a bit of hope in his father.

Blaise cast a worried glance at Draco and then at Harry. Blaise really hoped that this wouldn't end up hurting the friendship between Harry and Draco. The pair was very close. Blaise was even starting to wonder if Draco saw Harry as more than a friend. He'd have to question the blond about it.

Classes resumed and Harry allowed himself to be distracted by lessons, homework and Quidditch practice. A large number of students were still avoiding him and he endured a lot of staring and whispering. He hated the attention and it hurt that so many people had turned against him.

Harry was extremely grateful to the Slytherin and Gryffindor quidditch teams. They all maintained a friendly relationship with Harry and helped to chase off people that glared at Harry. Harry appreciated the solidarity, especially from the Gryffindor team, since one of the petrified students was a Gryffindor.

Harry looked up from his breakfast one morning and smiled when he saw Hedwig fly in with the other owls. She swooped down and landed in from of him, her wings nearly knocking over a pitcher of juice. She extended one foot and allowed him to untie the small bundle of mail that she carried.

"What is it?" Draco asked, reaching out to stroke Hedwig's white feathers. "Such a lovely girl," Draco cooed, grinning when the owl shuffled closer to him.

Harry opened up a pink envelope and pulled out a card with little hearts drawn on it. It was a short poem.

His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad.

His hair is as dark as a blackboard.

I wish he was mine, he's truly divine,

the hero who conquered the Dark Lord.

"Oh," Harry murmured looking surprised and flustered. "I completely forgot about Valentine's day."

"Who sent it?" Draco demanded, pulling the card closer but resisting the impulse to snatch it right out of Harry's hands.

"There's no name," Harry replied, eyeing the slightly misshapen hearts. "This is... nice."

"Nice?" Draco asked incredulously, as Blaise took the card from Harry to read it for himself.

"Don't you like people saying nice things about you?" Harry asked.

"Obviously," Draco replied. "But this isn't meant just to compliment you. It's a love poem."

"Yes, this is very serious," Blaise said, nodding his head gravely. "This is only a step down from a marriage proposal." He laughed at the glare Draco directed at him.

Harry rolled his eyes and opened the next little envelope. He instantly wished that he hadn't. A voice began to sing loudly. Harry was sure it was either Fred or George singing in a high-pitched shrieky sort of voice. It was so shrill that Harry couldn't understand most of it.

On the other side of the Great Hall, Fred and George were laughing hysterically. Ron and Hermione were giggling with Seamus and Dean who were making kissy faces at Harry.

"Gits," Harry laughed, shaking his head and stuffing the still screeching card back into its envelope.

The commotion from Harry's mail allowed another owl to land in front of Draco without causing a stir. Draco carefully removed the attached envelope uncertainly. The card's message was simple. Written in shining silvery ink was a request for Draco to be Pansy's Valentine.

"I see you've got one too," Harry said, leaning closer to look down at the card.

"A bit more tasteful than yours was," Draco responded with a sniff. "And it has the sender's name."

Draco and Harry looked down the table toward where Pansy sat with a group of girls. Pansy gave a flirty little wave to Draco. He responded with a halfhearted wave in return. "Gross," he muttered quietly as he turned away.

Harry snorted. "That's so mean Draco," he laughed.

It wasn't until they'd headed to class and Harry was chatting with Ron and the twins that Blaise got an opportunity to speak to Draco privately. "I don't want to be late," Draco complained as Blaise pulled him into an unused classtoom.

"It wont take long," Blaise assured him.

"Fine," Draco conceded. "What do you want?"

"Do you fancy Harry?" Blaise asked bluntly.

Draco's mouth dropped open in shock. "What- What- Why would you ask me that?" he sputtered.

"So you're not denying it?" Blaise asked calmly.

"Of course I'm denying it, you idiot," Draco snapped, his cheeks bright red. "I'm just shocked that you'd ask me such a thing."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "I'm not stupid," he reminded the blond.

"Harry Potter has been my best friend since we were six years old," Draco told him, folding his arms over his chest defensively.

Blaise gave him an unimpressed look. "I'm aware," he said flatly. "But that doesn't mean you can't have a crush." He smirked when Draco blushed even more and looked down.

"I can't- You don't-" Draco cut himself, struggling to find something to say.

"I won't tell anyone," Blaise said quietly.

Draco sighed, looking defeated. "Thank you," he muttered, almost too quietly for Blaise to hear.

Blaise grinned. "Come on then," he said brightly. "Don't want to be late for class." He stepped back into the hallway, pulling Draco with him. "You know, of course, that I intend to tease you with this knowledge. And, though I've promised not to tell, there are ways that this information can be used for blackmail."

"Stupid Slytherins," Draco grumbled.

"There you are!"

They looked up to see Harry wading through the crowds of students. His cheeks were slightly flushed. "I turned around and you two were gone," he said.

"We were chatting about the Valentine cards," Blaise said dismissively.

Harry grimaced. "Ron said that mine was from Ginny," he told them. "The poem. Not the weird singing. That was definitely Fred and George. Fred proposed to me in the hallway a moment ago."

"I'm sorry I missed that," Blaise laughed as they continued on their way to class.

"So she-Weasley is the one sending poetry?" Draco asked, trying hard to keep the jealousy out of his tone. He didn't do a very good job if Blaise's eyeroll was anything to go by.

"Makes things a little awkward," Harry said, cringing a little.

Draco was feeling slightly relieved as they entered the charms classroom. He sat down next to Harry, firmly ignoring the knowing look that Blaise was giving him.

HP~HP~HP

A few days later, the three Slytherins and Ron were seated near the Black Lake enjoying the slowly warming weather. There was still a definite chill in the air, but it was an improvement over the bitter cold of previous months.

They were determined to do well in Defense Against the Dark Arts, despite Lockhart's terrible teaching. So, they spent part of their free time, reviewing defensive spells. Harry seemed to be especially gifted in that area so he helped his friends.

"That wasn't right," Draco said, lowering his wand.

"You've got the wand movement wrong," Harry responded. He shifted closer and wrapped one hand around Draco's hand. He guided Draco into the proper wrist rotation and flicked the wand. "Like that. Try it again."

Blaise watched as Draco did the spell again, still guided by Harry's hand. This time, Ron was knocked backwards onto his back. Blaise swiftly helped Ron back up.

"That was great," Harry praised. Draco preened.

"There's Hermione," Ron said, scrubbing grass out of his red hair. The bushy headed muggleborn was striding purposefully across the lawn, her Gryffindor scarf flapping behind her like a flag. "What took you so long?" Ron asked her as she stopped in from of them.

"Moaning Myrtle flooded the bathroom," Hermione informed them. "There was water in the hallway again. So I went to check."

"Moaning Myrtle?" Ron questioned.

"She's a ghost," Hermione responded with a shrug. "She's a little sensitive. It's awful to try and have a pee when she's in there wailing in the next stall."

"A ghost that haunts the lavatory," Ron said, shaking his head.

"She was crying because someone threw this book at her," Hermione went on, pulling an old book out of her bag. It was bound in battered black leather. She handed it over when Draco reached for it, watching as he opened it and gingerly looked through the damp pages.

"It's all blank," Draco muttered. "How curious... Why bother throwing it away?" He turned it over and looked at the back, frowning at the name etched into the leather.

"Tom Riddle," Harry read, frowning at the name. "Who is that?"

Blaise and Ron shrugged. Draco shook his head, still looking down at the name. "Maybe this has magical properties," Draco suggested. "Perhaps it only looks blank."

Harry pulled a quill out of his bag. "Let's test it out," he said, taking the book from Draco. He located the driest page he could find and dipped his quill in ink. He then held it poised over the page, trying to decide what to write. He gave a careless shrug and simply wrote "My name is Harry Potter."

There was a pause and then the ink faded. New words appeared in handwriting that was completely different from Harry's. "Hello Harry. My name is Tom Riddle."

"This is so creepy," Ron said,

"What should I say next?" Harry asked.

"Ask if he knows about the Chamber of Secrets," Hermione suggested. "That book isn't new. Maybe he was around back then."

Harry did as suggested and was excited when the book showed him the word "yes".

Draco frowned and shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know about this," he murmured. His unease grew when he saw the words "I can show you" appear on the page. Harry gasped and went rigid. It lasted only a moment before Harry slumped to the side and Draco caught hold of him. "Are you alright?" Draco asked frantically, shoving the book away from Harry.

Harry was breathing heavily, looking around with wide eyes. "The book pulled me in," Harry panted.

"What?" Draco asked, startled.

"I got sucked in," Harry insisted with wide eyes. "I was in a memory. I saw Tom Riddle," he panted. "He was a student here. He turned Hagrid in for setting a monster loose in the castle. I didn't get a good look at the thing, but I'm pretty sure it was a spider the size of a large dog. Riddle was saying that it had killed someone."

Ron shuddered violently at the mention of the spider. But Blaise was exchanging a look of concern with Draco and Hermione. "You never left," Blaise said carefully. "You were sitting with that book and you sort of went rigid and that was it."

"Maybe it was just his consciousness that was pulled in," Hermione suggested, wringing her hands. "That's... unsettling."

"Indeed," Draco agreed grimly. He used his foot to push the diary further away from himself and Harry. "That book is dangerous."

Harry bit his lip anxiously. "Hagrid can't be the heir of Slytherin," Harry said. "He's is our friend."

"Harry, he hatched a dragon last year," Draco reminded him. "Is it really so surprising that he'd have a murderous spider?"

"It doesn't fit," Harry insisted. "I can accept that he had a dangerous pet, but it wouldn't make sense for him to be the heir of Slytherin. He doesn't want to get rid of muggleborns. He loves Hermione."

"Plus I'm pretty sure he's half giant himself," Blaise put in.

"So, Riddle either framed Hagrid on purpose, or just accidentally caught the wrong monster?" Ron asked. "It would be nice to know for sure."

"We're not opening that book again," Draco said sharply. "It's clearly full of dark magic. We'll have to find another way."

Ron tugged off his scarf and used it to wrap up the old diary. "I'll put it in my trunk until we decide what to do with it," he offered.

They sat in silence, each contemplating what they'd just learned. Draco had a very bad feeling about Tom Riddle's diary.

HP~HP~HP

The next day, Ron hurried over to Harry just before dinner. "It's gone," he gasped. "Someone destroyed the dormitory and went through my trunk. The diary is gone."

"Anything else taken?" Blaise asked, urging them to keep moving toward the Great Hall. Ron's disheveled appearance was drawing attention.

"Everything else seemed to be there," Ron answered, taking a calming breath.

"There must be a connection," Hermione muttered. "There's just too many odd things happening. Somebody had to know that we had the book. There must be a link to what's really going on."

Hermione stopped walking and bit her lip as she thought. "I need to go to the library," she said. "I'll see you when you're done eating."

"We'll bring you something," Harry called back to her as she walked the other way.

Harry ate his dinner slowly, ignoring most of the chatter around him. His mind was focused on the diary, the chamber and the monster.

The next morning Harry, Draco and Blaise bundled up and headed out to the quidditch pitch. Slytherin wasn't playing, but they wanted to go support the Gryffindor players.

They were shocked to see that the players were standing around looking disgruntled. The other students were leaving the stands a bit reluctantly.

"Did we miss it?" Harry asked.

"We can't have missed it," Draco replied with a frown. "It's too early. And there's no way either of those Seekers could get to the snitch so fast."

Ron came running up to them, looking pale and frightened. "The match was cancelled," Ron told them. "Have any of you seen Hermione?"

"No," Harry answered, fear creeping up his spine. "Why was the match cancelled?"

"There's rumor of another attack, but I don't know who," Ron said.

"Let's find Professor McGonagall," Draco said firmly, pushing Harry and Ron forward and steering them toward the nearest cluster of people.

It didn't take long to find her. She was giving instructions to the prefects and directing everyone to their dormitories. Her expression was a bit pained when she noticed Harry and his friends. "Come with me," she said tiredly. "There's something you need to see."

The four boys followed McGonagall silently, their hearts filling with dread as she left them to the hospital wing. Their fears were confirmed when a curtain was pulled back to reveal Hermione. One of her arms was raised slightly, and her face was frozen in an expression of fear.

Harry shuddered at the sight and sunk down onto the edge of the bed. Ron hovered at the other side of the bed, staring at Hermione in horror.

"We found her just outside the library," McGonagall said softly. "She was holding this." She held up a round mirror. "Does this mean anything to you?" she asked, handing Draco the mirror when he reached for it.

Draco looked the mirror over, turning it in his hands. He shook his head and passes it to Blaise. Harry glanced back miserably, shrugging in a dejected sort of way at the mirror.

"She'll be alright Harry," Draco murmured. "They'll be able to cure everyone when the mandrakes are old enough."

"I know," Harry said softly.

"If you think of anything, let me know," McGonagall said. She moved around the bed and pulled Harry into a hug. "We'll make this right." She kissed the top of his head. "Now, you Slytherins are to go right to your dormitories. No detours. Mr. Weasley, I'll escort you to the common room."

Blaise and Draco put Harry between them and led him back to their common room. Snape was there giving strict instructions to prefects and assigning groups of students so that nobody was ever alone. Harry, Blaise and Draco were allowed to be in a group, though they were required to check in the Marcus Flint throughout the day.

After a week, Harry decided that they had to go see Hagrid. Surely the gamekeeper knew something if he was a student the last time the chamber was opened. So, just after dinner, the four boys made their way to Hagrid's hut.

Hagrid was tending to his garden, and glancing around anxiously. He relaxed only slightly when he saw the boys. "What are you lot doing out here?" he asked.

"We've got to ask you about the Chamber of Secrets," Harry said, looking apologetic but determined.

Hagrid's eyes widened and he quickly ushered the students inside. "The thing about that-" he began.

"We don't think that you didn't open the chamber," Harry assured him quickly.

"You don't?" Hagrid asked, looking pleased and hopeful but shocked.

"You wouldn't hurt muggleborns," Ron scoffed.

A knock at the door made them all jump. "Hide," Hagrid whispered frantically.

Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak; He no longer went anywhere without it. He easily draped it over himself, Draco and Ron while Blaise dove under Hagrid's rickety old bed.

Harry watched as Hagrid opened the door to reveal a portly man in dark robes and Albus Dumbledore. "That's Minister Fudge," Draco whispered into Harry's ear.

"Bad business, Hagrid," Fudge said, shaking his head. "Had to come. With three students petrified..."

"But I didn't- You know I didn't, Professor," Hagrid pleaded to Dumbledore.

"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence," Dumbledore said sternly.

Fudge sighed. "Hagrid's record is against him. The ministry has got to act. I've got to take him," Fudge concluded gravely.

"To Azkaban prison?" Hagrid asked anxiously.

The question was answered by another knock on the door. This time, Lucius Malfoy walked in. He turned to Dumbledore with a cold smile. "I was looking for you at the castle and was told that I could find you here," Lucius said, curling his lip in distaste as he looked around at the house. "I've talked with the board of governors, and we've all agreed." He offered Dumbledore a scroll that was tied with a neat little ribbon. "This is an order of suspension. We rather feel that you've lost your touch."

"You can't get rid of Dumbledore!" Hagrid cried. "He protects this school. Mark my words, there'll be killings next!"

Lucius raised one mocking eyebrow at Hagrid before turning back to Dumbledore.

"I will respect the board's wishes," Dumbledore said calmly. "You will find that I will truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

Harry's breath caught as Dumbledore looked straight into his eyes. Did he know that Harry, Draco and Ron were there under the invisibility cloak?

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Admirable sentiments," he said impatiently. "Shall we go?"

The four men moved to leave the hut, but Hagrid paused. "If anyone wanted to know some stuff, they should follow the spiders," he said loudly, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. "That's all I have to say.

Fudge was looking at Hagrid with mild concern. He shook his head as Hagrid stomped out of the house, muttering about someone needing to feed Fang.

Once they were alone, Harry pulled the cloak off while Blaise crawled out from under the bed. "I think Hagrid is right," Blaise said, dusting himself off. "People are going to die."

"They're gonna close the school if this keeps up," Ron added.

Harry wasn't listening. He was watching a line of spiders crawling out of one of the windows. "Hagrid said to follow the spiders," he said thoughtfully. "Let's do that."

"No," Ron groaned. "I hate spiders."

"It's for Hermione," Blaise said, pushing Ron toward the door. "Let's go." They hurried around the hut to find the window and easily spotted the trail of spiders. There were even more spiders on the ground. "They're headed for the forest."

"We're doing this properly," Draco said sternly. "We'll go to Snape. We won't be setting foot in that forest without him."

Deciding that it was best not to argue, they ran to the castle. They encountered Snape very quickly as he had been coming to look for them. Marcus Flint and Adrian Pucey were with him. Snape frowned as Draco hurriedly explained what they'd seen and heard. Harry was mildly surprised when the surly potions master commanded for them to follow him before leading the way back to the forest.

"Stay close together," Flint instructed quietly as they all stepped into the forest.

They moved slowly, their eyes following the spiders' path further into the trees. The spiders varied in size a great deal. Ron was whimpering and trying to not look at the spiders at all. It was rather difficult since they were everywhere. Blaise took hold of Ron's arm and guided him along.

They all stopped as they came up on a massive spider. It was big enough to consume all of them. "You're not Hagrid," the spider said in a strange gravelly voice.

"We're friends of his," Harry piped up.

It was strange, talking to a spider. There was no visible mouth for the creature to speak with, but speak it did. Its name was Aragog and he'd come to Hagrid when he was small. He claimed that the only part of the castle he's seen was the box that Harris kept him in and that the student that died had died in a bathroom.

Aragog wouldn't put a name to the monster in the castle. He only said that it was an ancient creature that spiders feared.

At that point, Blaise was nearly knocked over by Ron's frantic flailing. The spiders were closing in on them. Snape and the students pulled their wands out. Snape, Marcus and Adrian began firing spells and blasting the spiders back. Draco quickly copied them, using a clever blend of spells to make the spiders dizzy or unable to walk as their legs jerked uncontrollably. Harry, Ron and Blaise joined in.

Snape whirled around and made a wide arc with his wand. A rush of magic swooped in like a strong wind blew the spiders away from them, making their path clear. "Run!" he shouted.

They raced through the trees, glancing over their shoulders to see if the spiders were catching up. When the burst through the treeline and onto the Hogwarts lawn, they stopped, panting heavily.

"Follow the spiders!" Ron snapped between gulps of breath. "If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him."

"Indeed," Snape agreed. "That was a bit pointless. We still don't know what the creature is."

"But we know for certain that Hagrid is innocent," Draco said, still panting. "We can get him released from prison." He smiled at the relief that flashed on Harry's face.

"You're really trying to find out what the monster is?" Adrian asked incredulously.

"Someone has to," Harry responded.

"You are second years," Adrian argued, scowling. "Whatever that thing is, it could kill you."

"People will die anyway if someone doesn't do something," Harry snapped.

"That's enough for today," Snape said irritably. "Back to the dorms, all of you. There is nothing more to be done tonight."

"Come on," Marcus said. "We'll drop Weasley off at the Gryffindor common room first."

Snape watched the students trudge back to the castle. He supposed that he was grateful that the students sought himself rather than venturing into the forest alone. If nothing else, Snape had learned that he'd be avoiding the forest as much as possible in the future.


	13. Year Two: Part Four

"Alright, let's think this through" Draco muttered, pacing back and forth.

They were in the infirmary, sitting with Hermione. Madam Pomfrey was in her office, so it seemed as good a time as any to discuss the Chamber of Secrets. The only problem was, they hadn't gained any other new information.

"There's got to be something we're missing," Draco said.

"Like what?" Blaise asked warily.

Draco stopped his pacing, his brow furrowed. There were so many strange things that had happened. It was hard to sort out what was relevant. If they could just figure out what the monster was...

Draco's gaze fell on Harry and his breath caught in his throat. "What is it?" Harry asked.

"What if-" Draco paused and licked his lips a bit nervously. "Do you think it could be a snake?"

"What? The monster?" Ron asked in surprise.

Blaise's eyes widened. "It would explain why Harry kept hearing a voice," he said eagerly. "If it's a snake, Harry would be able to hear it speak but nobody else would."

"That makes sense," Harry said excitedly. But, then his shoulders slumped. "But, that doesn't explain why students have been petrified."

"It might," Blaise said pensively. "There are different types of snakes. There's one that can kill you just by looking you in the eye. I just can't remember what it's called."

"Basillisk," Draco supplied. "That might be the answer."

"How?" Ron asked. "If it kills by looking you in the eye, why are people petrified instead of dead?"

"No one did look it in the eye," Harry said slowly. "Colin saw it through his camera. Justin saw it through Nearly-Headless Nick. Nick got the full blast of it, but he can't die again. Hermione was holding a mirror," he said glancing at Hermione's right hand that was frozen in place as if she was still grasping the mirror. "I bet you anything that she figured this out and was using the mirror to look around corners." He paused when he notice that her left hand was closed around a wad of paper.

"What about Mrs. Norris?" Ron asked. "I don't think she can hold a camera or mirror."

"But there was water on the floor when we found her," Draco said. "She would have seen the basilisk's reflection."

Harry had tugged the paper free of Hermione's hands while the others talked. He opened it up and shook his head in disbelief. "Hermione agrees with you about the basilisk," Harry informed Draco. "She had this in her hand."

Draco walked over and peered down at what turned out to be a torn page from a book. It contained information on the basilisk in general. "She's had this in her hand the whole time?" Draco complained.

"But how's it getting around the school?" Ron asked. "A dirty great snake would have been seen by somebody aside from three students, a ghost and a cat."

"Hermione has answered that for us," Harry said, pointing out something on the page.

"Pipes," Draco read out loud.

"It's using the plumbing," Blaise said, sounding horrified.

Harry nodded, suddenly thinking of something else. "Remember what Aragog said?" he asked. "He said that a girl died in a bathroom... What if she never left? Maybe it was Moaning Myrtle."

"Oh god, that's the ghost that always sobbing and flooding the bathroom, isn't it?" Blaise groaned.

"Let's go tell the teachers," Harry said, giving Hermione's hand a soft squeeze before leading his friends out of the infirmary. Just outside the doors, Vince and Greg were waiting. "We were just visiting Hermione. You didn't have to guard the door."

"We were making sure you had privacy," Vince explained, looking a little sheepish. Greg nodded his agreement.

"We'll let you know if we need privacy," Harry informed them. "Otherwise, just come in with us."

Draco marveled at how different Crabbe and Goyle were. They were still hulking brutes at times but, these days it was always in defense of Harry and Draco. They seemed uncertain about Ron and Hermione, but weren't hostile toward them. Seeing genuine smiles from them was strange. Draco was starting think that Harry could charm the socks off of just about anyone.

Vince and Greg joined them on the trek through the halls to locate the teachers. The passed only a few students in the hallway. Harry held up one hand to stop them when he heard voices from just around the corner.

"So sorry. Dozed off. What have I missed?"

That was Lockhart. Harry rolled his eyes, glad that he'd not walked around the corner right away. He certainly didn't want to deal with Lockhart at that moment.

"A girl has been snatched by the monster," Snape said coolly. "Your moment has come at last."

"My moment?" Lockhart sounded a little uncertain.

"Weren't you saying just yesterday that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" Snape asked, his tone smug and slightly mocking.

"Well I-"

"It's settled then," McGonagall said firmly. "We'll leave the monster to you Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend."

There was a pause and then Lockhart said "Very well. I'll just be in my office getting ready."

There was another pause and then Snape said "Now that the imbecile is out of the way we get something done."

"Indeed," McGonagall agreed crisply. "We need to get all of the students secure in their common rooms. I'll send a message to request the Aurors to come and help us search the school."

"Who was taken?" Professor Flitwick asked anxiously.

"Ginny Weasley," McGonagall answered sadly.

Harry turned to meet Ron's horrified gaze. Blaise gave Ron's shoulder a sympathetic squeeze, unsure of what else to do to show his support.

Harry glanced around the corner and saw that the teachers had departed. He moved forward and saw that there were words, once again written in blood, on the wall.

"Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever," Harry read, his voice breaking. "Let's go get Lockhart. He may be useless, but if he's going to the Chamber we can at least tell him what we know." He and Draco put Ron between them and escorted him to Lockhart's office with Blaise, Vince and Greg following closely behind

They burst into Lockhart's office only to find their professor hastily tossing his personal items into a leather satchel. "Are you going somewhere?" Blaise asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Oh, I had an urgent message," Lockhart told them, stuffing a framed and autographed photo of himself in his bag. "Completely unavoidable."

"What about my sister?" Ron demanded.

"Well- As to that, most unfortunate," Lockhart said, still haphazardly stuffing things into his bag. "No one regrets it more than I."

"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Draco snapped impatiently. "You can't go now."

"When I took the job, there was nothing in the job description about this," Lockhart said in agitation, closing up the satchel and picking it up.

"You're running away?" Harry asked angrily. "After all the stuff you did in your books?"

"Books can be misleading."

"You wrote them!"

"My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think that I'd done all those things," Lockhart retorted.

"You're a fraud," Draco growled. "And an idiot. You've just been taking credit for the things that other wizards have done."

"Is there anything you can do?" Blaise asked with a sneer.

"Actually yes," Lockhart said, frowning. "I'm rather gifted with memory charms. Otherwise those wizards would have gone blabbing and I never would have sold another book." He turned away, rubbing at the back of his neck a bit nervously. "In face, I'm going to have to do the same to you," he said, whirling around with his wand raised. But the students had anticipated his move and were pointing their wands back at him.

"Nice try," Harry smirked. "Greg, grab Lockhart's wand, please."

Greg roughly snatched the wand out of Lockhart's hand and passed it to Harry. "What do we do now?" he asked Harry.

"We continue on to the chamber," Harry said, giving Ron a reassuring nod. "If we can get in, maybe we can get Ginny out."

Vince and Greg seized Lockhart by the arms while the other four kept their wand pointed at him. They made their way through the halls, going straight toward the bathroom that Myrtle favored. The instantly spotted the ghost, staring mournfully out the window. She turned to look at them curiously. "Harry Potter," she said, floating over to them and getting uncomfortably close to Harry. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

"I wanted to ask you how you died," Harry said politely, forcing himself to remain still as she looked him over.

"Oh it was dreadful," Myrtle said sadly, floating toward one of the bathroom stalls. "It was right here in this very cubicle. I had been hiding because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. I was crying. Then I heard somebody come in."

"Who?" Ron asked her.

"I don't know," Myrtle responded. "But they said something funny; A kind of made up language. I realized that it was a boy speaking so I opened the door to tell him to go away... And then I died."

"That's it?" Draco asked flatly. "Just like that? How?"

Myrtle frowned thoughtfully. "I just remember a pair of great big yellow eyes, over there by that sink," she said, pointing at the sink right across from her cubicle.

Harry moved toward the sink and looked it over carefully. After a moment, he leaned closer and realized the faucet had the image of a snake on it. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded Draco closer to have a look. "I think this is it," Draco said. "But, how do we open it?"

"Harry, try telling it to open in Parseltongue," Ron suggested. The others, aside from Lockhart, murmured their agreement.

Draco turned to watch as Harry frowned in concentration. A chill went up Draco's spine at the strange, breathy hissing sounds that slipped from Harry's mouth. The sound was a little unsettling, but Draco couldn't help being rather impressed with it. He stubbornly ignored the way Blaise smirked knowingly at him.

The was a loud scraping sound as the sink slid out of the way and a large trapdoor was revealed. They all leaned forward a bit to peer down into the opening.

"Well, there it is," Lockhart said nervously. "You won't be needing me anymore, so I'll just be going." He surged away from the trapdoor but Crabbe and Goyle caught hold of him and yanked him back.

"I don't think so," Harry said, lifting his wand and pointing it directly at Lockhart's face. "You first."

"Now, what good would that do?" Lockhart asked.

"Better you than us," Draco smirked.

Lockhart grimaced. "Yes, well..." He peeked down at the trapdoor apprehensively. "How would I-" He cut himself with a yelp as Ron shoved him hard and he fell through the hole.

"Nice one Weasley," Draco said with an approving nod.

"I thought so," Ron replied with a little shrug. "Shall we?" he asked, gesturing at the trapdoor.

Harry turned to Vincent and Greg. "I need you to go get the other teachers," he told them solemnly.

"You don't want us to come with you?" Greg asked, his brow furrowing.

"We'll take care of each other," Harry assured him, gesturing to Draco, Blaise and Ron. "But we're going to need the teachers as well. It's really important."

"We'll hurry," Vince said, tugging Greg away from the trapdoor and toward the door.

With wands in hand, the remaining four dropped through the trapdoor one at a time. They landed in a pile of dirt and the bones of small animals. Blaise gave Lockhart a poke with his wand, gesturing for him move along down the tunnel ahead of them.

"Oh Salazar," Draco breathed. "Is that-"

"Snake skin," Harry supplied, moving ahead to get an idea of the full length of the vivid green skin curled on the ground. Draco stayed close to his side, looking a little nauseous.

"Whatever shed this must be at least feet long," Ron muttered.

Lockhart fainted.

Ron looked down at their teacher's prone form and snorted. "Heart of a lion this one," he said sarcastically.

Lockhart suddenly reached out and snatched Ron's hand away, jumping to his feet. "The journey ends here," he said smugly, pointing his wand at the four boys. "But, don't worry the world will know our story... How we were too late to save the girl-"

Harry, Draco and Blaise all shouted different spells at the same time, filling the tunnel with sound and light. The wand flew out of Lockhart's hand, as he was thrown backwards. He hit the wall with a harsh thud before landing on the ground. The impact seemed to unsettle the structure of the tunnel, making an alarming number of rocks fall and blocking off the tunnel. Draco and Harry were separated from Blaise, Ron and Lockhart.

"Harry?" Draco cried out, panicked. It was difficult to see through all the dust from the tunnel collapsing.

"I'm okay," Harry said, coughing. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Draco responded, his voice shaking. "Blaise? Weasley?" he called out anxiously.

"We're fine," Blaise called back. "But, we're blocked in."

"Draco and I will go on ahead and find Ginny," Harry said. "You two try to shift through some of this rock. Don't let Lockhart get a wand. The teachers should be along soon."

"We'll catch up as soon as we can," Ron shouted.

Harry sighed and led the way further into the tunnel. Draco stayed close, cringing a little as bones crunched under his feet. After a few minutes of walking, they came across a solid wall with two entwined serpents on it. Their eyes glittered like emeralds.

Draco shivered as Harry used parseltongue again. The serpents parted as the wall cracked open. Draco bit his lip and reached out to grasp Harry's hand. Harry gave his fingers a little squeeze before leading them into the next room.

HP~HP~HP

"They could all die in there," Ron gasped, frantically pulling at stones. They were making progress, but they had to be careful not to make more rocks fall.

"We can't think like that," Blaise panted, leaping to one side as the large rock he'd dislodged tumbled down. "It's best to believe that Harry and Draco are clever enough to survive until we get to them."

The sound of voices made them stop and look around. The slap of feet running on the wet cement was music to their ears. They were overjoyed as Professors McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick appeared. Vince and Greg were with them.

"Where are Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall demanded, her face white with fear and anger.

"They went to get Ginny," Ron told her. "Part of the tunnel collapsed and we got separated. After Lockhart tried to obliviate all of us," he added, glaring at Lockhart.

In a flash, Snape had Lockhart shoved against a wall, pressing his wand into Lockhart's throat. Lockhart's eyes were wide and terrified as he struggled against Snape's grip.

"Severus!" Minerva snapped. "We'll punish him later. We've got to get to the boys."

Snape smirked wickedly and then used a body bind spell on Lockhart before letting him drop to the ground.

The students watched as their professors carefully cleared away the rocks. The tunnel was quickly checked to make sure it wouldn't collapse any further.

"Professor, we've got to hurry," Ron told McGonagall. "The monster... It's a basilisk."

The professors gasped in horror. "The voice Potter was hearing..." Snape said, realization dawning.

"Draco realized that it was a snake," Blaise confirmed. Blaise nodded toward the snake skin. He'd shoved it all into one corner so he and Ron wouldn't trip over it while shifting rock. "It's huge," he said.

"Stay here," Snape commanded the students. "We'll be back. The aurors should be along soon." Without another word, he took off down the tunnel with the other teachers. Flitwick was bringing up the rear since his diminuitive height made it harder for him to keep up, but he was surprisingly speedy as he scurried down the damp passageway.

"Do you think they're alright?" Greg asked quietly.

Blaise glanced at Ron, who was slumped against the wall. The red-head looked completely miserable and dangerously close to tears. Blaise shuffled closer to Ron and draped an arm across his shoulders. Together, they slid down the wall to sit on the floor. Vince and Greg moved to sit on the other side of Ron.

The show of solidarity was enough to break Ron's remaining grip on his emotions. He buried his face in his hands and wept.

HP~HP~HP

Draco watched in horrified awe as Harry shoved the sword of Gryffindor through the roof of the gigantic snakes mouth. One of the fangs pierced Harry's arm and he yanked himself backward, pulling the sword free. The basilisk let out a horrible shriek before falling to the ground.

Draco slid out of the wide crevice that Harry had shoved him into at the last moment. Harry climbed down from the ledge he'd positioned himself on and his knees buckled. Draco hurried to help him up, casting a quick glance at the dead snake. Together, the hobbled back to Ginny.

Harry dropped the sword to the ground with a clatter, his face pale as he pulled the dang out of his arm. The Tom Riddle he'd seen in the diary's memory stood before them, looking a little put out that his snake was dead, but still confident in his victory. This was Voldemort as a teenager.

"I'd guess you have little more than a minute to live," Riddle said coldly. "Basilisk venom penetrates the body rather quickly. You'll be with your mudblood mother soon."

Draco swallowed hard, his mind racing. They couldn't let Riddle win. They couldn't let Voldemort return. Harry couldn't die.

His eyes fell on the diary and his gaze hardened. Draco snatched up the basilisk fang and plunged it into the diary with as much force as he could muster. Ink spurted from the diary and there was a piercing scream. Riddle twisted and screeched with agony before disappearing.

The basilisk venom had burned a home through the middle of the book.

Ginny gasped and sat up as Draco dropped the fang and reached for Harry, his eyes filling with tears. Harry looked awful.

"Ginny, you're alright," Harry murmured weakly

"Harry," Ginny said, eyes wide and fearful. "It was me, but I swear I didn't mean to."

"It's alright," Harry assured her, barely able to keep his head up. "You and Draco need to follow the tunnel out."

"I'm not leaving you here," Draco retorted, his voice breaking.

The sound of wings alerted them to Fawkes' approach. Dumbledore's phoenix landed next to Harry and leaned close to peer at Harry's wound. Fawkes rested his head on Harry's arm and began to cry big pearly tears that dripped down the crimson feathers and into the wound.

"Phoenix tears," Draco said in a choked voice. "They have healing powers."

Sure enough, the wound was closing and color was returning to Harry's face. "Thanks," Harry told the bird, stroking the feathers lightly. Fawkes bobbed his head once, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Harry!"

McGonagall was running toward then with the other professors close behind. She gathered Harry into her arms, tears of relief streaming down her face. She pulled back to look him over anxiously, her eyes widening at the blood on his arm.

"That's from a basilisk fang," Draco told her shakily. "Fawkes healed him."

"We'll have Poppy check you over just in case," McGonagall said before turning to Ginny. "Are you alright Miss Weasley?"

Ginny burst into tears. "I'm so sorry!" she cried. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"It's really not her fault," Draco said, pulling an exhausted Harry into his arms. "We can tell you everything, but maybe we should get out of here first."

The professors agreed and helped the students back through the tunnels. Ron was quickly reunited with his sister and everyone was taken to the hospital wing to be evaluated.

It was there that Draco explained what had happened in the Chamber. They'd found Ginny, barely alive and Tom Riddle had appeared only to reveal himself as Voldemort. He'd been controlling Ginny through the diary.

Riddle had called for the basilisk, but Fawkes appeared and clawed out the snakes eyes, blinding it. But, the snake used its keen sense of hearing to persue Draco and Harry through the tunnels. Fawkes returned a second time to drop the sorting hat in Harry's arms. Harry pulled the sword of Gryffindor out of the hat and pushed Draco into a large crack in the wall, out of the snake's reach.

"He stabbed the basilisk, but one of the fangs went into his arm," Draco explained, his hand holding Harry's as Harry slept in the hosital bed. "I took the fang and stabbed the diary, and that destroyed Riddle. The girl Weasley woke up as soon as Riddle was gone."

"Ginny's not in trouble is she?" Ron asked anxiously.

"Of course not," McGonagall replied, still looking rather shaken. "We can talk more later, but I think that you all need to rest for now. You two as well," she told Vince and Greg. "You've all had a very trying day."

Draco allowed himself to be coaxed onto a bed. He accepted the potion that Madam Pomfrey gave him without question and settled himself down to sleep.

The next morning, Harry woke to find that Dumbledore had returned. He was sitting next to the bed, smiling benignly. "I'm glad you're back," Harry said lightly.

"As am I," Dumbledore replied. "I wanted to thank you. You must have shown true loyalty to me down in the Chamber. Only that would have called Fawkes to you."

"You're like family," Harry said. "You'll always have my loyalty. Voldemort isn't half the wizard you are."

Dumbledore smiled, squeezing Harry's hand affectionately. "You're so remarkably brave," Dumbledore noted.

"I had Draco with me," Harry responded.

"And you make a great team," Dumbledore acknowledged with a smile. He turned his head and nodded in greeting to Draco when he saw the blond was awake.

"Sir," Draco said hesitantly. "Have you found out who started all this?"

Dumbledore sighed softly. "I'm afraid I cannot say for sure," he answered.

"Do you still have the diary?" Draco asked, his throat dry.

Dumbledore pulled the damaged book our of one pocket and handed it to Draco. Draco held it in both hands for a moment, biting his lip. "Dobby!" he called out.

The house elf appeared with a pop. He stood on the bed, near the bottom, and bowed deeply. "Yes young Master Malfoy?" he asked tremulously.

Draco held out the book. "Do you recognize this?" he asked the elf. Dobby's eyes watered and he trembled. "I won't tell my father and I won't punish you," Draco said impatiently. "This is important. I have to know. Was this in my father's possession before?"

Dobby gave a tiny nod. Draco sank back against his pillows, his heart sinking.

"How did Ginny get it?" Harry asked quietly.

"My father and Mr. Weasley fought in Diagon Alley," Draco explained. "Father was mocking their... lack of money and secondhand books. I remember his pulling a ratty old book out of the girl Weasley's cauldron and then tossing it back in a moment later. I think the diary was slipped in as well."

Draco dropped the diary and closed his eyes tightly. His own father had set all this in motion. The Dark Lord had nearly been set loose in Hogwarts.

Draco had wanted to believe the best of his father. But the truth was, he was willing to let children sure to further Voldemort's agenda. Draco just couldn't accept his father's teachings and longer. He wasn't sure how he could look his father in the eye and longer.

Draco jumped when he felt hands on his shoulders. He opened his eyes to find that Harry had gotten out of his bed to sit with Draco. Draco sobbed suddenly as Harry hugged him close.

"I'm so sorry Draco," Harry said sadly. "I'm here for you. No matter what. I know you don't think like your father."

"What am I supposed to do now?" Draco sniffled, heartbroken. "I'm expected to believe certain things. I have to behave a certain way. I'm expected to fall in line if You Know Who returns."

"You act," Harry said firmly. "Pretend to be what he wants you to be."

"And if the time comes that you need to be protected from Voldemort," Dumbledore added gravely, "we're here to help. We would keep you safe. For now, you are safe. And your father does love you."

Draco sighed, resting his head on Harry's shoulder. For a moment, he focused on the warmth and happiness that resting against Harry offered. Draco was sure that he was blushing and was rather glad that Blaise wasn't in sight.

Finally, he lifted his head and looked back at Dobby. He thought for a moment, looking the elf over. "Would you like me to set you free?" Draco asked.

Dobby blinked in surprise. "Dobby would love to be a free elf," he answered reverently.

"Where would you go?" Harry asked.

Dobby pondered this a moment. "You could seek employment at Hogwarts," Dumbledore suggested. "Or maybe you could stay with Harry, Remus and Minerva."

"Dobby would love to work for Harry Potter," Dobby said excitedly.

"And you could still see Draco," Harry added with a smile.

Dobby nodded. "Dobby would like that very much," he said.

Draco nodded and reached down and pulled off one of his socks. He offered it to Dobby, smiling slightly as the elf accepted it eagerly.

"Thank you Draco Malfoy," Dobby said, cradling the sock to his chest like an infant. "Dobby is grateful."

"I will discuss your employment with the appropriate parties and I will call for you," Dumbledore said cheerfully.

Dobby nodded excitedly and popped away.

HP~HP~HP

The cure was soon made for those that had been petrified and the student body eagerly shared rumors about what had occurred. For Draco's safety and reputation, his involvement was concealed. The most accepted version of events was that Harry and marched into the chamber, had a sword fight with the basilisk and carried Ginny to safety like a damsel in distress. Harry detested this depiction of the entire mess, but refused to comment on any of it.

The students quickly decided that Harry wasn't the next Dark Lord and he went back to being reasonably well liked across all four houses. Of course, he knew very well who his most steadfast friends were. Vince and Greg were now happily included in their group. Ron seemed to accept them more readily and they no longer seemed to mistrust the red-head.

Draco was mostly quiet and thoughtful as the school year came to a close. He'd been so set on making his father proud, but now he knew that pleasing his father was likely to end in Harry's death. Draco wasn't going to let that happen. Even if Draco hadn't developed a massive crush, he would have never let something bad happen to Harry. But, this meant that Draco might one day be forced to oppose his father outright.

"Malfoy!" a voice called loudly, making Draco jump. He turned to glare at Ron. They were on the train returning home and Draco's mind had been preoccupied. Still, no reason to shout.

"Look, I know we don't like each other, and that's fine," Ron said calmly. "But... We're all like... A team," he decided. Hermione and Blaise nodded. "We'll be here for you. If you need help, let us know."

"This is about my family," Draco retorted. "My father is at fault for your sister being possessed and nearly killed by the Dark Lord. Harry nearly died. My father," he growled for emphasis.

"My father probably would have done the same," Vince admitted sullenly.

"Mine too," Greg agreed quietly.

"You're not your fathers," Harry said firmly. "You are your own person and you can make your own choices. And sometimes doing the right thing is really hard," he added, giving Draco's hand a squeeze.

"Exactly," Ron agreed. "But it doesn't mean that you're alone."

"This group is like a family," Blaise noted, looking around at their compartment. The seven students were crowded in together, unconcerned with needing to sit a little closer together than they normally would have. "When something happens, we're all there to deal with it together. I wish my real family was like this."

"There you go," Ron said, giving Blaise an approving nod. "This is our Hogwarts family. If you need us, we're here," he told Draco solemnly.

Draco drew in a shuddering breath. "Thank you Weasley," he said quietly. "I still think your hair is stupid."

"And I think your face is too pointy," Ron retorted, though he looked amused.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "So, we need to make plans to visit each other at least once this summer," he said, looking around at the others.

Harry transormed and curled up in his seat, content to listen to his friends' plotting. His fluffy tail curled around his body and he started purring.

"Come here Orion," Draco said finally, patting his leg. Orion meowed and climbed into Draco's lap. Draco lifted the cat and hugged it to his chest gently. "We'll be okay," he murmured into the warm black fur.

Orion resumed his purring, comforting Draco as well as he could as they drew nearer to Kings Cross Station.


	14. The Escape of Sirius Black

Harry took a bite of his toast, his eyes lingering on Remus. The werewolf looked agitated and his hands were trembling slightly. Harry had been patiently waiting for Remus to speak, but so far he'd not said a word aside from a stiff good morning.

Remus wasn't exactly a morning person, but he was generally much more cheerful with Harry. His obvious anxiety was making Harry extremely nervous. Dobby, who was now happily working for them, kept eyeing Remus worriedly as he poured cups of tea.

Just as Harry opened his mouth to speak, Minnie stepped through the floo. Her face was tense and worried. She walked into the dining room and seated herself in one of the chairs.

"Well?" Remus prompted, clenching his hands together to stop their shaking.

"The rumors are true," she said gravely. "Remus-"

"I need a moment," Remus said abruptly, cutting her off. He got up and left the room in a rush, his expression anguished.

"What's happened?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban," Minerva responded, looking back at Harry. "There's some concern that he'll come looking for you... To finish the job," she added quietly. "But you're well protected Harry."

Harry nodded, swallowing around the lump in his throat. "Is Moony alright?" he asked.

"Remus is taking this very hard," Minerva admitted. "He's worried about you. But he was also very close to Black. This is incredibly painful for him."

"At least he won't be alone this year," Harry noted. He'd been delighted when he was told that Remus had been asked to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Remus was a wonderful teacher and it would be great to have him so close.

"I agree," Minerva nodded. "Though, being at the school may bring back a lot of memories. We'll just have to be loving and supportive."

Harry was glad to do that. He'd been raised by Moony and shown what unconditional love was like. He'd do anything to make Moony happy.

The thought of Sirius Black managing to escape Azkaban was terrifying. Would he really try to kill Harry? And what could have made him betray his friends? Harry wasn't only concerned for his own well being. Remus could be in danger as well. Sirius had already viciously murdered Peter Pettigrew. Why wouldn't he finally off the last Marauder?

Harry's stomach was unsettled and he was full of nervous energy. He'd completed his summer homework already, so he kept himself busy with baking. Minerva gave him a worried look when she caught him at it, but let him carry on. Dobby was more than glad to help in the endeavor. The result was six dozen biscuits and a chocolate cake with a ridiculous amount of chocolate icing.

Remus didn't show his face until much later in the day. He looked haggard and tired. His eyes were red-rimmed and glossy. Minerva instantly went to hug him tightly. "We'll get through this," she told him.

"It'll be alright Moony," Harry murmured, hugging Remus as soon as Minerva released him.

"I know Pup," Remus agreed softly.

The days that followed were filled with tension and increased Auror presence all over wizarding Britain. The wards were strengthened around Minerva's house and owls seemed to be constantly flying in and out of the windows to deliver updates.

The Weasleys returned from their vacation in Egypt and supplied a much needed distraction for Harry and Remus. They'd brought home a great number of pictures and Ron had a newspaper clipping that had a photo of the Weasley family, waving merrily in front of one of the ancient pyramids. Ron could be seen grinning at the camera and clutching his rat, Scabbers.

"Nobody has ever escaped from Azkaban before," Ron said, as he and Harry peered down at a chessboard. "I wonder how he managed it."

Harry shrugged, watching one of Ron's bishops wrestle Harry's pawn to the ground. Ron's chess set was rather aggressive.

"Oh, did you know that Lockhart's trial was yesterday?" Ron asked eagerly.

"I sort of forgot about it," Harry admitted. "What happened?"

"The Wizengamot sentenced him to ten years in Azkaban," Ron said, looking pleased. "Serves him right, the stupid git."

"Would you boys like some biscuits?" Molly said poking her head into the living room.

Harry uttered a "Yes, please" while Ron jumped to his feet and hurried to the kitchen to grab some biscuits. Fred and George took that moment to sit down by Harry.

"George and I have been talking," Fred began.

"You seem to always be getting into a tight spot," George went on. "But, we think we can help."

Fred handed Harry a carefully folded parchment. Harry looked down at it with a frown. "What's this?" Harry asked.

Fred grinned. "George?" he prompted.

George raised his wand and said "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He tapped the parchment with his wand and words began to appear.

Harry's eyes widened in shock as he read the words aloud. "Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are pleased to present the Marauders Map."

"Those names sounds familiar?" Fred asked, his time teasing.

"How did you get this?" Harry asked, awestruck. He opened the map and looked it over, seeing each part of the castle displayed on the map. He could see little footprints pacing back and forth in the space marked as the Headmaster's office. The footprints were labeled with the name Albus Dumbledore.

"Nicked it from Filches office," Fred said.

"First year," George added smugly. "This map shows everyone in Hogwarts. Everyone."

"Every minute of every day," Fred smirked.

"It shows secret passageways too."

"Brilliant!" Harry cried excitedly.

"Well, we decided that your needs are greater than ours," Fred said with a smile. "Just don't forget- When you're done, give it a tap and say 'Mischief Managed'," he said, tapping themap with his want again. "Otherwise anyone could read it."

Fred and George left with a parting wink, leaving Harry to stare at the now blank parchment in wonder. He got up and hurried into the dining room where Remus was having a cup of tea.

"Look," Harry said, holding the parchment out.

Remus stared at parchment in shock. "Is this-"

"The Marauders map," Harry said, cheerfully. "The twins had it."

"I haven't seen it in so long," Remus muttered softly. He hesitated and then handed it back to Harry. "I'm trusting you with this. You're better behaved than your father was at your age at least. But, it may keep you safe in the castle. Invisibility cloaks and charms don't fool the map."

Harry nodded and hastily tucked the map into the back pocket of his jeans. He was grateful for Remus' trust and he was going to do his best not to betray that trust. Harry was just excited to have a piece of his father's past. The Marauders were terribly clever to create such a map, and Harry was eager to look it over thoroughly.

HP~HP~HP

Harry stepped into a little cafe in Diagon Alley and smiled widely at the sight of his friends. They were gathered around a table with mugs of butterbeer. They waved Harry over eagerly.

"You go on and have lunch with your friends," Remus said lightly. "I'll sit over here." He gestured to a small table near the entrance.

"You could sit with us," Harry offered.

"It's alright," Remus declined with a smile. "I've got the whole day with you and we'll be together at school. You'll get tired of me soon enough." He chuckled at Harry's eyeroll and moved to the counter to order food for himself.

Harry walked over to the table and sank into the seat that Draco had kept open for him. "Where are your parents?" Harry asked everyone.

"Mum and Dad are having lunch with Hermione's parents," Ron explained.

"I convinced Mother to stop hovering so I could visit with you," Draco said with a smile. "Father said hello by the way," he added with an eyeroll.

Harry gave Draco a sympathetic smile and patted his arm.

"My mother is off shopping," Blaise said, waving one hand dismissively. "Theirs as well," he added, nodding toward Vince and Greg.

"Alright Harry?" Greg asked with a little frown.

"I'm alright," Harry said, looking down at his hands. "Obviously I'm worried, but..."

"Hogwarts will be safe," Hermione said bracingly. "And the Aurors will catch Black soon enough."

Harry nodded, hoping that he looked more reassured than he felt. Draco wasn't convinced though.

"I ordered a club sandwich with chips for you," Draco told Harry with a soft smile. "How does that sound?"

"I told the bossy prat that you could pick out your own lunch," Ron piped up.

Draco wrinkled his nose at Ron but otherwise didn't comment.

Harry grinned. "It actually sounds great," Harry admitted. "Thank you."

Ron rolled his eyes and Draco looked very pleased with himself. Strangely, Blaise appeared to be trying very hard not to laugh. "What's up with you?" Harry asked him.

"Nothing at all," Blaise responded, smirking at Draco before taking a sip of his butterbeer. Draco scowled at him.

They settled into comfortable conversation about the upcoming school year. They'd be able to visit Hogsmeade village now. There were also more classes available to them. Draco and Hermione were both excited about Arithmancy and Ancient Runes.

"Sounds so boring," Ron groaned just before shoving a warm chip into his mouth.

"They are important classes for certain careers," Hermione retorted. "And I think they'll be fascinating." Ron still looked exceptionally unimpressed.

Once they'd finished lunch, they parted ways. Draco seemed the most reluctant to leave though. Once the others had gone off to find their families, Draco turned to Remus hopefully.

"Maybe I could walk with you for a while?" he requested. "Father is at the Ministry today and Mother was going to meet me at the bookshop after lunch."

"I think that would be fine," Remus nodded, sighing fondly when Draco shot Harry a delighted smile.

Remus trailed after the two boys, watching as they talked animatedly. More than once, he saw Draco tug lightly at Harry's sleeve or touch him in some way. The blond appeared to be flirting, albeit shyly. It was really the only thing that was shy about the boy. Harry seemed oblivious to the inept flirtation, but Draco didn't seem to mind.

They stepped into the bookstore and instantly found Narcissa peering down into a large enclosure that held... books? Large hairy books that seemed to be growling?

"What are these?" Harry asked, eyeing the books uneasily.

"The Monster Book of Monsters," Narcissa responded with a little sigh. "You need a copy of it this year. And hello Harry dear," she added, smiling warmly at him.

"Why don't we get this one last?" Draco suggested. "Harry, we can go grab our other books," he said sweetly, his fingers ghosting lightly over Harry's wrist as he nodded to the bookshelves further in.

"Alright," Harry agreed, allowing Draco to lead him further into the store.

Narcissa watched them go, surprise flitting across her face. She looked at Remus. "Did Draco appear to be-"

"Flirting?" Remus suggested quietly. "I thought so too."

"Did I miss something? When did that start?" Narcissa asked.

"A recent development, I think," Remus said with a little shrug. "They're still very young and they've been close for years. I suppose it just turned into a crush."

Narcissa sighed. "I must admit that..." She paused and looked around before leaning closer to Remus conspiratorially. "They look adorable together," she admitted. "But, Lucius expects Draco to marry a pureblood. And a female one at that." She peered through the crowd to see her son laughing happily at something Harry said.

Remus frowned, giving her a questioning look. "What about Draco's happiness?" he asked.

"Not everyone can have that sort of bliss," Narcissa commented lightly. "I was lucky with Lucius, but many pureblood marriages have little to do with love or happiness. Draco knows that."

"It must be really hard for him," Remus said quietly.

Narcissa said nothing more as she watched her beloved son. There was a lightness to him when he was with Harry. His gaze held a certain tenderness that went beyond their seven year friendship. There was a hopefulness that made Narcissa fear that her own heart would break at the sight of it.


	15. Year Three: Part One

The idea of riding on the Hogwarts Express with Remus was a little strange. But, Harry didn't mind it. He'd even insisted that Remus sit with him. The pleased smile on Remus' face was a relief to Harry. Remus had been rather down since Sirius' escape.

Draco joined them in the compartment and sat down with Harry, greeting Remus politely.

"I'm looking forward to your class," Draco told Remus, nodding to Hermione as she stepped into the compartment. "Harry said that you're a great teacher and our previous Defense professors have been terrible."

"I'll certainly do my best," Remus replied with a smile. He watched as Ron and Blaise walked in and settled themselves in their seats. Vince and Greg stopped by to greet them before moving on to a compartment with a bit more room.

Remus couldn't help being rather impressed with Harry. Relationships between Slytherin and Gryffindor had been hostile for a long time. But here was Harry, easily navigating friendships from both houses. Remus was stunned when he heard Draco and Ron discussing chess strategy without a trace of animosity.

The only conflict was between Ron and Hermione. Hermione had gotten a cat over the summer and it seemed intent on eating Scabbers.

The cat, Crookshanks, was actually half kneazle. It looked a bit like a miniature lion with his fluffy plumed tail. It was ginger colored and had orange eyes. Crookshanks was remarkably intelligent and Hermione adored him.

Draco thought the half-kneazle was rather ugly with its squashed face and large pointed ears. But the animal wasn't so bad. Crookshanks seemed to like Draco and Harry well enough. He curled up happily between the two boys, purring loudly.

"We should see what Crookshanks thinks of Orion," Blaise said.

Harry transformed easily. As Orion, he sat down and looked at Crookshanks expectantly.

Crookshanks sniffed Orion briefly but otherwise seemed unfazed. Orion meowed and Crookshanks meowed back. Then Crookshanks curled back up at Orion's side.

"That's it?" Blaise asked, surprised. "I expected more of a reaction."

The others shrugged and resumed chatting while Draco picked Orion up. Orion was certainly a much better looking cat with his perfect fur and luxurious tail.

Then, Draco had an idea. He stood up and reached into his bag that was resting on the luggage rack. He pulled out a small bag and sat back down.

Draco took out a small brush and set the bag aside. Aware that his friends were now staring, Draco held the brush out for Crookshanks to inspect. "May I brush you?" Draco asked politely.

Amazingly, Crookshanks meowed and stood up, watching Draco expectantly. Draco smiled and began carefully brushing the thick ginger fur. Occasionally, he used his hands to apply some sort of cream to the fur. He worked silently while Ron, Blaise and Hermione resumed their conversation.

It didn't take Draco long to tame the wild fur. Crookshanks still wasn't the prettiest cat, but he looked well groomed and cared for.

"He looks amazing," Hermione said, picking her cat up. "And he smells so nice! Thank you Draco!"

"You're welcome," Draco replied, a bit startled that she had used his first name. He turned to Orion. "It's your turn, my pretty boy."

"You know he's not really a cat, right?" Ron asked with a smirk.

Draco rolled his eyes and set about brushing Orion's lovely fur. Orion was far less dignified about it. He purred loudly and rolled into his back to expose his belly. When Draco obliged and brushed his stomach, Orion stretched out luxuriously and nearly fell off the seat.

"You're shameless," Draco laughed, setting Orion in his lap. "Here. This is for you as well." Draco reached into his little bag again and pulled out a dark green collar. Curling vines were stitched into it in shiny silver thread. A silver tag was attached to it with the name Orion etched onto it. Draco carefully put the collar around Orion's neck. "There's a little clip on here that will pop open when you change back."

"That's so sweet," Hermione cooed, kissing Orion's furry face.

"You do remember that it's Harry?" Ron asked impatiently. "You're all making this weird. You're cuddling our friend."

Enjoying Ron's discomfort, Blaise scooped Orion into his arms. "Such a lovely boy," Blaise cooed, nuzzling into the black fur. "What a good kitty."

"I hate all of you," Ron said flatly.

Harry returned to his human form, catching the collar as it fell off. He grinned at Ron as he returned to his seat. Crookshanks jumped into his lap and curled up.

Draco smiled and put his grooming supplies back into the bag. It was, perhaps, a little odd for him to have grooming supplies for someone that wasn't really a cat. But, Harry didn't seem to mind Draco indulging in the experience of caring for a pet.

The rain beat down on the windows as the students talked quietly and Remus drifted off to sleep. He was still recovering from the most recent full moon. Of course, only Draco and Ron were aware that Remus was a werewolf. They hadn't found it necessary to let their other friends know. It was a touchy subject for Remus, and Harry wanted to respect his privacy.

Suddenly, the train shuddered and began to slow.

"Why are we stopping?" Hermione asked. "We can't be there yet."

The train gave another shudder and the lights flickered. The temperature dropped drastically.

Draco pressed closer to Harry, his breath coming out in little white puffs. "What's happening?" Draco whispered fearfully.

The compartment door slid open slowly as a long-fingered hand with gray, scabbed skin curled around the frame. A creature in a long ragged cloak hovered in the door way, it's breathing making a rattling sound with each inhalation. The compartment was too dim to see anything of its face aside from the gaping hole where a mouth should have been.

The creature shifted closer, and a sense of hopelessness swept over Harry. Fear gripped him and the sound of screaming filled his mind as he blacked out.

"Harry!" Draco cried out in alarm, catching hold of Harry's limp body. "Professor Lupin!"

Remus jolted upright and then whipped out his wand when he saw the creature. He used an unfamiliar charm and a bright white light lit up the compartment, driving the creature out.

Remus sighed and then turned to look at Harry. "He'll be alright," he assured the other students. "Just give him a moment."

Draco sighed in relief when Harry's eyes fluttered open. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Harry sat up gingerly looking around at his friends. Remus handed Harry some chocolate before passing some to the others. "What was that?" Harry asked.

"It was a Dementor," Remus explained, giving Harry's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "They guard Azkaban. It was searching the train for Sirius Black. Now I'm going to have a word with the driver. Eat the chocolate. You'll feel better." He stepped through the door and walked away.

Harry bit into the chocolate, feeling rather embarrassed. "Did any of you pass out?" he asked uncomfortably.

They all shook their heads. "I felt weird though," Ron said with a frown. "Like I'd never be cheerful again."

Harry thought for a moment. "Before I blacked out, I heard something," he said. "A woman... screaming."

"No one was screaming," Hermione said, looking concerned.

"Don't worry about it," Draco said soothingly, urging Harry to take another bite of chocolate. "We just encountered a creature that sucks the happiness out of the room. You were bound to feel a bit off."

"But I'm the only one in here that fainted," Harry muttered. Draco sighed, wanting to reassure his friend.

"Professor Lupin didn't seem concerned," Blaise said reasonably. "So don't let it bother you. I imagine it effects everyone differently. You killed a giant snake with a sword. Nobody here is going to judge you," he said with a smile.

Harry returned the smile reluctantly. As the train began moving again, he relaxed. The warm, comforting weight of Draco leaning against him was soothing and he was able to stop thinking about the dementor for a little while.

HP~HP~HP

At the Welcome Feast, Dumbledore announced that Hogwarts would play host to the dementors until Sirius Black was captured. Harry groaned and buried his face in his hands. Hopefully those awful creatures wouldn't get close to the students. It would be humiliating to be fainting on a regular basis.

"Don't worry Potter," Marcus said quietly. "They won't let the dementors get too close. It'll be a great year."

It was Marcus Flint's final year. He was surely hoping to win the the Quidditch Cup again for his last year as Captain. It was such a normal thing to think about. Much better than worrying over an escaped murderer.

After dinner Harry, Draco and Blaise went to their dorm. Their belongings had been placed by their beds already. Blaise left to take a shower, leaving Harry and Draco alone for the moment.

Draco sat down on Harry's bed, where Harry was stretched out on his back. Harry turned his head to look up at Draco with a little smile. "Are you worried?" Draco asked quietly.

"A bit," Harry sighed. "A man that my parents trusted betrayed them to Voldemort and now he's escaped and might want to kill me. It's just-" Harry swallowed hard. "It's awful. And poor Moony is having a hard time with it. I'm just tired of people wanting to kill me. It's ridiculous."

Draco layed down next to Harry, turning his head to look at his friend. "It'll be alright Harry," he said softly. "There are a lot of people here that just want you to be happy and safe."

Harry stilled as his eyes met Draco's. They were together all the time, but Harry was abruptly aware of how very close they were at that moment. Had Draco always been so... pretty? His gray eyes looked silver when the light hit them properly. His skin was pale but healthy, and there was a faint pink along his cheeks at that moment. When Draco wasn't being sarcastic or scowling, he looked rather sweet.

"Harry?" Draco asked, his face growing a bit redder. "Is everything alright?"

Apparently, Harry had been staring a bit too long. "Sorry," Harry said sheepishly. "You have really pretty eyes." He bit his lip, thinking that it was a really stupid thing to blurt out to your best mate. Who does that?

But Draco looked rather pleased. "Thank you," he responded with a shy little smile, his eyes staying on Harry's face. "I love your eyes. They're the most beautiful shade of green that I've ever seen."

Vince and Greg walked into the room. They glanced over at Harry and Draco and smiled. "I've got some Honeydukes chocolate," Greg informed them.

Draco hummed in approval of chocolate. Greg grinned and opened his trunk. He pulled out a bag that was bulging from its contents. He grabbed a handful and tossed it, making the sweets rain down on Draco and Harry.

"Thanks," Harry chuckled. He opened a chocolate frog and bit into it before it could escape his grasp. The chocolate melted on his tongue and Harry closed his eyes in bliss. A quiet giggle made him snap his eyes open.

Draco was smirking at him. "Are you enjoying that?" Draco teased. "Should we give you a moment alone with your chocolate frog?"

"Shut up," Harry muttered, giving Draco a playful shove. They both laughed.

"What are you doing?" Blaise asked, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. He was dressed for bed and setting a bag of toiletries in his trunk.

"Late night snack," Vince said, holding up a peppermint humbug.

"No, I meant those two," Blaise said impatiently, motioning toward Draco and Harry. "I leave for a few minutes and these two are spooning."

"We're not!" Draco objected, his face flushing.

"No," Harry groaned. "I'm too tired for shrieking."

"I'm not shrieking," Draco snapped. Seeing Harry's teasing grin, he rolled his eyes. "Go take a shower, you tosser."

Harry laughed and got his things to take to the shower. Draco got up and got dressed for bed, preferring to shower in the mornings. He used a spell to clean his teeth and flopped onto his bed tiredly.

"So..." Blaise began casually. "That was adorable."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco responded with a huff.

"He was talking about you and Harry cuddling," Greg said helpfully. Vince snickered.

"We were not cuddling!" Draco cried, thoroughly embarrassed. "We were just talking."

"Then why was your face so red?" Vince questioned.

"He- I-" Draco bit his lip, looking up at the ceiling. "He said my eyes are pretty."

Blaise smiled, giving Vince and Greg a look to forestall further teasing. "That's a good thing then," Blaise said lightly.

Draco nodded, his eyelids growing heavy. It had been such a long day and tiring day.

Draco slipped between his sheets and closed his eyes with a yawn. He couldn't get the memory of Harry's face, so close to his own, out of his head. Draco's whole body felt warm at the memory.

When Harry returned to the room, Draco was sounds asleep with a smile on his lips.

HP~HP~HP

"Mate, what happened to you?" Ron asked incredulously, looking Harry over.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked indignantly. "He looks great."

Harry sighed quietly, wishing that they could just go have breakfast. Ron was only drawing more attention to Harry's appearance.

Draco had insisted that Harry needed to look more respectable since he was representing Slytherin. Blaise had agreed, and the two of them had set about fixing Harry's tie and cajoling him into tucking his shirt in properly. They did what they could with Harry's wild hair. It was still messy, but it looked more intentional.

So, Harry was walking to breakfast looking sharp and neat. He thought he looked good, but now he was feeling rather self-conscious.

"You look so handsome Harry," Hermione said, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

"Thanks," Harry murmured, blushing.

"But why?" Ron asked.

"It's our first day of classes," Draco replied impatiently. "We're putting our best foot forward. Harry looks neat and tidy. It makes a good impression. In fact..." He paused and looked Ron over. Then he gave Blaise a knowing look.

"Right," Blaise said with a little nod. "We need a moment." He seized Ron's arm and led him away with Draco close behind.

"Do we need to wait here?" Greg asked. "Or can we go eat."

Harry smiled. "Let's go eat," he said lightly. "See you in a later," he told Hermione as he headed toward the Slytherin table with Vince and Greg loyally trailing after him.

Harry chatted comfortably with Vince and Greg as he began to eat his breakfast. Just as they were finishing, Draco and Blaise got to the table and started on their own meals. They appeared suspiciously smug.

"Alright, what have you done?" Harry asked warily.

"You'll see," Draco said dismissively. He reached out and brushed some lint off of Harry's robes, his eyes bright with amusement.

As they made their way to their first class, they met up with Hermione and Ron again. But, Ron had clearly been subjected to Draco and Blaise's fashion sense. His shirt and tie were tidy and his robes, despite being hand-me-downs, were perfectly fastened and seemed to fit him better.

"Nice," Harry commented with a grin.

"Does it look alright?" Ron asked, reaching up to touch his hair only to have Draco slap his hand away.

"All of you look fantastic," Hermione assured, including Vince and Greg in the compliment.

"Of course we do," Draco said confidently. He turned to Harry and Ron. "Now that you two no longer look like ruffians, we're going to class."

Ron huffed in irritation and embarrassment and march away with Hermione trailing after him.

"That was really nice of you," Harry told Draco and Blaise. "I think..." He peered them suspiciously.

"We're all friends here," Blaise said with a shrug, his innocent tone not fooling Harry at all.

"And he's hilarious when he's uncomfortable," Draco added with a smirk.

"You're awful," Harry chided them while Vince and Greg laughed.

The third year Slytherins had Charms first, and then Divination. The climbed a spiral staircase to the Divination classroom and found that it didn't look much like a classroom. It looked a bit like an old, overcrowded teashop. There were twenty small tables in the room, surrounded by dusty armchairs and fat poufs for everyone to sit in. The lamps were all draped with dark red scarves, lighting the room in dim crimson. The smell of incense was oddly strong, making Harry's eyes water a little.

Harry, Draco and Blaise crowded around a little table together. Pansy hastily dropped into a pouf next to Draco, forcing Vince and Greg to sit at a table nearby.

Professor Trelawney stepped into the room and swept her face across the room. She wore glasses that made her eyes look enormous. A gauzy shawl was draped over her shoulders and she wore a good number of bangles and rings. Several thin chains and beads hung from her neck. Harry thought she looked a bit mad.

"She looks like an insect," Blaise muttered out the corner of his mouth.

"God, that's tacky," Draco muttered quietly. "My eyes are actually hurting from looking at her."

"I think that's the incense," Harry whispered, shaking with suppressed mirth.

Trelawney started the class by outlining the topics they'd be learning through the semester. She punctuated her own commentary by making bizarre or vague predictions about various students in the classroom. Blaise was struggling to contain his laughter.

That day they were reading tea leaves. They each drank from a teacup and then traded cups with someone at the table. Draco barely gave Harry enough time to finish his tea before he snatched the cup away. Draco really didn't want to read Pansy's tea leaves.

Harry peered at the leaves left in Draco's cup. It seemed rather stupid but, Harry was there to learn. So, he grabbed his copy of Unfogging the Future and began comparing the illustrations to the soggy lump of tea leaves.

"Er- I see... an acorn," Harry said hesitantly. "Maybe..." He peered at his book. "A windfall, unexpected gold."

"That's stupid," Blaise muttered, barely sparing a glance for Pansy's cup. "Draco's already a rich sod. The Malfoy's have more money than they know what to do with."

Draco shrugged, pursing his lips and staring down into Harry's cup. "It's a sheep," he declared, setting the cup down.

Harry and Blaise snorted. "A sheep?" Harry spluttered. "What does that mean?"

"No idea," Draco said, flipping through his book.

Blaise leaned over to peer in Harry's cup. "That's a bear," he said.

"Don't be an idiot," Draco said waving Blaise away. "It's clearly a- Huh... Is that donkey?" Pansy giggled at that.

Harry bit his lip and tried to look studious as Trelawney approached their table. She took Harry teacup and gazed into the tea leaves.

"The falcon... you have a deadly enemy," Trelawney informed Harry.

"Well yeah," Blaise muttered, rolling his eyes.

Trelawney rotated the cup anti-clockwise. "The skull... danger in your path."

Up until this point, the Slytherins seemed largely unfazed by Trelawney's predictions. Now, the were glancing between Harry and his unfortunate teacup.

Trelawney rotated the teacup again, gasped and then let out a dramatic scream. It startled Pansy so badly that she dropped Blaise's teacup.

"What?" Draco snapped, glaring impatiently. He didn't care that he was being rude. He had no interest in her theatrics.

Trelawney dropped into a chair, setting the cup down and clasping her hands to her chest. She was staring at Harry with wide eyes. "My dear, you have the Grim," she informed him. She looked a bit offended by his puzzled look. "The Grim," she repeated impatiently. "It's a giant spectral dog. It is an omen of death!"

Most of the Slytherins looked distinctly rattled. Vince and Greg watched Harry with an anxious expressions. Even Blaise looked quite unsettled. Draco managed to keep his expression neutral, but he reached for Harry's hand under the table and gave it a squeeze.

Harry hadn't really thought much of Trelawney's predictions. But there was something that made Harry's heart pound with fear: Sirius Black was an animagus. He could turn into a big black dog.

HP~HP~HP

Harry walked into Transfiguration feeling a bit queasy. He took a seat next to Draco, smiling faintly as Ron and Hermione came into the room.

The class was oddly subdued, especially for a class full of Slytherins and Gryffindors. Professor McGonagall ended up halting her lecture an animagi and asking her students what was wrong.

"We had Divination today," Blaise said helpfully.

"Ah," McGonagall said, nodding in understanding. "And which of you will be dying this year?"

The third years blinked in surprise.

"Me," Harry answered.

McGonagall sighed, giving Harry a patient look. "Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death if at least one student every year," she informed them. "Not one of those people had died yet. This seems to be her favorite way of greeting a new class. Welcome to third year," she added dryly.

Several of the students laughed, finally relaxing. Harry smiled slightly, suddenly feeling much better. Draco gave him a little nudge with one elbow, offering a slight smile.

"Now, going back to more important things," McGonagall said, redirecting their attention. "I was talking about Animagi." She transformed into a silver tabby, prompting the class to applaud appreciatively.

Harry smiled to himself. This was one topic he already knew fairly well. Most of his classmates weren't aware that he was an animagus and he preferred it that way for the time being.

After lunch, the third year Slytherins and Gryffindors went outside and toward the edge of the forest for Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid had been made the professor since that last teacher had retired. Harry wasn't sure if he should be excited or nervous about Hagrid teaching, so he settled for a mixture of both. Hagrid was a good friend, but his idea of what was safe was rather different from other people.

Harry's hope that class would go well faltered when Hagrid expressed surprised that none of them had been able to open their copy of Monster Book of Monsters. Draco looked like he rather wanted to hex Hagrid when they were instructed to stroke the spine of the growling books.

Hagrid then brought out five strange looking creatures. They had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses. But the front legs, wings and heads looked like giant eagles.

After telling the students that hippogriffs were proud and that insulting one might be the last thing you ever do, Hagrid asked for volunteers. Understandably, nobody really wanted to get any closer. But, Harry really wanted to encourage Hagrid, so volunteered.

Harry carefully followed Hagrid's instructions to bow to the selected hippogriff, Buckbeak. Buckbeak stared at Harry for a long moment before sinking into a bow as well. Harry moved closer slowly and reached out to pet Buckbeak with a small smile of relief.

Until Hagrid mentioned riding Buckbeak. That didn't sound like a good idea at all.

Draco watched anxiously as Harry was helped onto Buckbeak's back. Buckbeak immediately opened his wings and gave them a mighty flap, lifting into the air. Draco kept his hands clenched at his sides to resist the impulse to cover his eyes. What if Harry fell?

Buckbeak landed after just a few minutes, and Harry climbed back down to the ground gratefully. He enjoyed flying, but he much preferred it on a broom.

The other students moved closer, grouping around the hippogriffs and bowing. Draco, Blaise, Vince and Craig were with Buckbeak while Harry stood back and observed. Draco looked quite pleased when Buckbeak bowed to him.

"His feathers are so soft," Draco noted, grinning when Buckbeak closed his eyes and leaned into Draco's hand.

"It's a bit ugly," Vince commented quietly.

Buckbeak reared up angrily and Draco hastily shoved Vince away. In the next moment, he cried out in pain when Buckbeak's talons slashed through his robes and cut into his arm. He stumbled back as Hagrid rushed to get in front of Buckbeak.

Hagrid calmed the hippogriff while Harry used his own robes to press over Draco's wounds. "It was the first pass at of the lesson Vince!" Harry growled. "You don't insult a hippogriff."

"I'm sorry," Vince mumbled his face oddly pale. "I'm so sorry Draco."

"He needs to go to the hospital wing," Hermione said calmly. "Madam Pomfrey can fix him right up."

"I'm the teacher, I'll do it," Hagrid declared scooping Draco up into his arms, making Draco yelp.

"It got my arm, not my legs!" Draco cried indignantly. "Put me down this instant."

Hagrid set him down with a little frown, but keep put one hand on Draco's shoulder. "Class dismissed," Hagrid said gruffly, leading Draco away.

"Poor Draco," Harry sighed, picking up his bag and Draco's.

"Harry, I'm really sorry," Vince said, looking quite miserable. "It was stupid of me to say that."

Harry patted Vince's arm, feeling a bit guilty about snapping at him. Vince wouldn't do something hurt Draco on purpose. "It's alright Vince," Harry assured him. "I was just worried about Draco, and I got upset. I know it was an accident."

"Come on," Blaise said lightly, nodding toward the castle.

The other students were already making their way across the grounds. Neville, Dean and Seamus paused to ask if Draco had been hurt badly. Harry honestly wasn't sure how bad the wound was. He hadn't wanted to look to closely at Draco's turn flesh, focusing on trying to stop all the bleeding instead. And there had been a shocking amount in blood.

"That was a horrible thing to happen in our first day of classes," Ron muttered, grasping Harry's arm and guiding him toward the castle. "He'll be fine," he told Harry firmly.

"I know," Harry agreed. "There was just so much blood."

"I'm just afraid that this looks really bad on Hagrid," Hermione fretted, wringing her hands. "Do you think he'll get into trouble?"

"But it was an accident," Greg blurted out, glancing at Vince.

"I know," Hermione responded patiently. "But Hagrid is responsible for the class. He chose to bring a very temperamental creature to our first class. That probably wasn't the best plan."

Harry sighed heavily. Hagrid was just trying to make his first class enjoyable. Hopefully, he wouldn't get into trouble.

Harry didn't see Draco until just after dinner. The blond entered the common room with Harry's robes in his arms.

Harry and Blaise had been helping Crabbe and Goyle with their Transfiguration homework. But they stopped what they were doing to focus on Draco.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, getting up to approach Draco.

Draco nodded tiredly. He pushed up the right sleeve of his robe to reveal his forearm, wrapped in bandages. "I have to keep this on for a few days to make sure the wound heals completely," Draco explained. "It's to prevent infection. Some of the muscle and tendons were torn too."

"That must have hurt something fierce," Blaise said, cringing at the idea.

"It was awful," Draco agreed. "I nearly passed out from the pain before we got to the hospital wing. But, it's much better now. Just burns a little sometimes. Madam Pomfrey wanted to keep me in the hospital wing, but I really didn't want that."

"Well, we can help you with your homework," Harry offered. "It might hurt to write."

Draco beamed at him, making Harry's insides feel oddly warm. It was such a lovely happy smile.

Draco was urged into a comfortable arm chair with his arm propped up on a pillow. It wasn't necessary, but he was happy to allow Harry to pamper him a bit.

Soon enough, their homework was complete and Vince and Greg were happy to have understood it. Harry and Blaise had been decent teachers.

Harry carefully rolled up the parchment that he'd put Draco's homework on and slid it into Draco's bag. "You look tired," Harry said.

"Exhausted," Draco admitted quietly. He bit his lip, looking around at his friends. "My father came to the school," he told them hesitantly.

"Why?" Blaise asked stiffly.

"My parents had to be notified because of the severity of the injury," Draco said, looking down at his bandaged arm. "I told my father what happened and that I'm fine... He's furious. He's going to report this to the board of directors."

"Hagrid could get fired," Harry said, worry creasing his brow.

"I'm so sorry Harry," Draco murmured. "I tried to smooth things over. Father is... He seems really determined."

"It's not your fault," Harry replied. "We'll just have to be there for Hagrid and hope for the best."

HP~HP~HP

In potions class the next day, Harry partnered with Draco and prepared all the ingredients for their potion. Harry wasn't as proficient in potions, but he read the instructions carefully and followed Draco's directions. When Snape paused to look into their cauldron, he gave Harry a short, terse nod of approval.

Neville was struggling. Hermione had to stop him from adding the wrong ingredient repeatedly. When Snape swept over to their table, Neville's hands shook and he hastily tossed two rat spleens into the cauldron.

Hermione groaned.

"Does anything penetrate that though skull of yours?" Snape growled. "I stated quite clearly that one rat spleen was needed. Your idiocy is going to kill someone."

Neville was trembling and looked ready to burst into tears.

"At the end of class, we'll test this potion on your toad to see what happens," Snape said coldly. "Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly."

Snape moved away and Neville turned to Hermione with wide eyes. "Help me," he whispered fearfully.

Draco kept an eye on Neville and Hermione's progress while continuing to guide Harry's brewing. After a few moments, Hermione frowned and peered up at the blackboard where Snape had written the instructions.

"Granger," Draco hissed. When she turned around, he handed her some daisy roots. "Slice those up and put them in the cauldron. Stir five times anti-clockwise."

Hermione's grim expression faded and she thanked Draco with a nod. She hurried to do as instructed. Draco was gratified by her lack of hesitation. It was a show of trust. She trusted Draco's abilities in potions, and she trusted him not to sabatoge her work. It was nice that she had such faith in him.

"Such a show-off," Harry teased quietly. "Brewing two potions at once."

"All while barely lifting a finger," Draco laughed softly.

The potion was tested on Trevor the toad, but it had been properly corrected. Trevor was turned into a tadpole and then returned to normal with the antidote.

At the end of class, they began heading toward Defense Against the Dark Arts. They were all eager to see Professor Lupin at work.

"Wait, where's Hermione?" Ron asked, looking around. "She was right behind me."

"Where'd she go?" Harry asked, looking around. "There she is," he said, spotting running toward them.

"How'd you do that?" Ron asked. "You were right here, and then you weren't."

"What?" Hermione asked, looking baffled. "Oh- I had to go back for something."

Ron eyed her suspiciously, but didn't argue.

"What's up?" Draco asked him quietly as they continued down the hall.

"It's just weird," Ron whispered, glancing back at Hermione. "She's taking more classes than anyone. Some of them overlap. How s that even possible? And she just pops up everywhere."

Draco frowned thoughtfully. How was Hermione taking so many classes? He'd known that her schedule was full, but he hasn't given it much thought. But Ron was with her a lot more.

He set those thoughts aside as they walked into the classroom. Professor Lupin greeted them and immediately instructed them to set their bags aside because they'd only need their wands.

So this was a practical lesson. The only time they'd had a practical Defense lesson was when Lockhart had set loose a bunch of pixies. But Harry and his friends knew that Lupin was clever and it was sure to be a good lesson.

Remus led his students down the hall, glad to see that they all looked eager. He led them right to the staff room and ushered them inside. Snape was sitting in an arm chair, watching the third years as they filed in.

"I don't care to watch this," Snape drawled rising and moving toward the door. He paused in front of Remus. "Perhaps nobody has warned you, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I'd advise you not to trust him with anything difficult unless Miss Granger is going to be hissing instructions in his ear."

Remus frowned. That was no way to talk about a student. "Actually, I was hoping to have Neville help me," he said calmly. "I'm sure he'll do an admirable job."

Snape sneered and then left the room, closing the door with a snap.

"Now then," Remus said, turning to face his students. "What we have today is a boggart. We discovered it in this wardrobe yesterday, and I asked the staff to leave it so you would have a chance to take care of it today."

The wardrobe wobbled, banging against the wall.

"So what is a boggart?" Professor Lupin asked.

"It's a shape shifter," Hermione answered eagerly. "It takes the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Exactly," Lupin nodded. "Do this boggart is sitting in darkness and hasn't yet assumed a form. He does not yet know will frighten the person on the other side of the door. This means we have an advantage. Do you know what it is Harry?"

Hermione was bouncing on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air. Harry gave her a wary look while Blaise and Draco snorted.

"Er- It won't know what shape to be," Harry answered slowly, finding Hermione very distracting. "There's a lot of us here."

"Precisely," Lupin nodded. "It's best to have company with you when you're dealing with a boggart, so you can confuse it. But what really finishes a boggart is laughter. We're going to force it to take the shape of something amusing."

Lupin taught them the incantation and then gave Neville instructions. The wardrobe opened and the boggart stepped out, looking exactly like Professor Snape. Anger surged through Remus. There was something wrong if a teacher was a student's boggart. He might have overlooked it, if Snape hadn't spoken so meanly about Neville in front of the whole class.

"Riddikulus!" Neville cried, pointing his wand at boggart-Snape. It stumbled and then suddenly it was dressed in feminine green robes with a large hat that had a very ugly bird on it. It was also clutching a red hand bag.

Neville giggled and the other students laughed. At Lupin's command, they lined up and took turns taking on the boggart.

Harry bit his lip, wondering what the boggart would become for him. Voldemort had been his first thought, but now his mind was focusing on the dementor on the train.

Just as it became Harry's turn, Remus leapt in front of him, drawing the boggarts attention before it could shift for Harry. A white orb was now suspended in the air. "Riddikulus," Remus said. Now the boggart was a cockroach. "Alright Neville, finish it off."

Neville stepped forward again and boggart-Snape reappeared. "Riddikulus!" Neville shouted, determined. Everyone caught a glimpse of Snape in a dress again before Neville burst into laughter. The boggart exploded into wisps of smoke and disappeared.

"Wonderful!" Remus cried, thumping Neville on the back. "Well done everyone. Class is dismissed."

The students began to file out of the room. Harry took the opportunity to approach Remus while his friends waited at the door. "Why didn't you let me face the boggart?" Harry asked with a frown.

"I'm sorry Harry," Remus responded, squeezing Harry's shoulder. "I thought it might take the shape of Voldemort. Or Sirius," he added softly.

"I did think of Voldemort," Harry admitted. "And then I remembered the dementor..."

"Well, one might suggest that means that you're greatest fear is fear itself," Remus responded. "That's very wise."

"It doesn't feel wise," Harry grumbled.

Remus chuckled and hugged Harry briefly. "Enjoy the rest of your day son," he murmured.

Harry smiled brightly. "See you later Moony," he said, returning to his friends.

HP~HP~HP

"It's unacceptable Albus," Remus snapped.

Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise. Remus rarely snapped at anyone. "I wasn't saying that it was acceptable," Dumbledore said calmly.

"No, you're just making excuses for him," Remus growled impatiently. "I know that you trust him. To an extent, I trust him as well. But when a student's boggart turns into one of his teachers, there's a problem."

Minerva sat in one corner of Dumbledore's office, sipping tea. She'd encouraged Remus to come to Dumbledore as for his concerns. He was doing splendidly. It was about time somebody pushed the issue of Snape's treatment of the children. She wished that she had known. She had thought he was merely strict and favored his Slytherins.

"Mr. Longbottom is quite timid," Dumbledore murmured, stopping himself from saying anymore at Remus' glare.

"It's more than that and you know it," Remus said coldly. "Neville is terrified. And I might have just brushed it off had Severus not belittled Neville to me in front of the boy's classmates."

Remus took in a deep breath to calm himself. It wouldn't do any good to rant and lose his temper. "Severus is damn brilliant with potions," he said steadily. "But he's shit with children. This isn't about a school rivalry. I don't hold the past against him though I'm sure he despises me. That's fine. I'm sure I deserve it. But Neville is just a child and he will never excel with the level of anxiety and fear that he's showing."

"Severus has expressed concern over the safety of the other students," Dumbledore mentioned cautiously. "Potions accidents can be dangerous."

"Agreed," Remus nodded. "And maybe Neville isn't good at potions. But Severus is making it worse by scaring the poor child."

"Children can be cruel," Minerva spoke up. "They taunt and tease each other all the time. The students shouldn't have to endure the same from their professors." She gave the headmaster a stern look. "Reign him in Albus. I know it's bound to be an unpleasant conversation, but it needs to be done. We cannot ignore this."

Dumbledore sighed heavily and nodded. "Of course," he agreed solemnly. "I will speak with Severus. I appreciate you looking after our students," he told Remus.

Remus nodded stiffly and left the office. Minerva followed him out, patting his shoulder. "You're a good man, Remus," she said, pride creeping into her voice. "Albus seems a little blind when it comes to Severus. But he'll set it right now."

"I hope so," Remus sighed.


	16. Year Three: Part Two

Hagrid's classes became rather less interesting after the hippogriff incident. He seemed to have lost all confidence in himself. The creatures that he presented to the class were dreadfully boring.

On the other hand, Professor Lupin's classes remained just as interesting as the first one. Harry was learning so much and he was proud to be the best in their year at Defense. Hermione seemed a bit disappointed to be out shined by Harry in class, but she tried not to spoil it for Harry.

The students were unaware of Professor Lupin's intervention, but potions class did improve a little. Snape was thoroughly bad tempered, but Harry quickly noticed that he was no longer singling Neville out to torment him. Neville made fewer mistakes when Snape wasn't berating him.

Of course, Snape did retaliate for Neville's boggart and Lupin's interference. When the full moon prevented Remus from teaching, Snape taught the defense class and did a lesson on werewolves. It was practically announcing Remus' condition. Harry was a little nervous that the other students would discover Remus' secret. If nothing else, Hermione was sure to figure it out.

Harry, Draco and Blaise had decided after their second Divination class that they really didn't want to be in the class. Trelawney was again dramatically predicting Harry's death and it was annoying and a little disturbing. Draco appealed to Professor Snape and the three were allowed to select a different class.

Draco already knew that he'd rather take Arithmancy. It didn't take much to convince Blaise and Harry to take it as well. Hermione was already taking the class, so she happily offered to help them with what they missed in the first two classes.

Arithmancy was difficult, but Harry quickly found himself enjoying it. And, Professor Vector didn't predict his death in their first class. That was certainly a bonus.

There had been reports of Sirius Black being sighted in a town nearby, but little else was being said on the matter. The only real disruption in those first few weeks had been Ron's growing hatred of Crookshanks. He loudly complained to the Slytherin boys about the evil cat attacking his bag while Scabbers was inside it.

As the weather began to cool, a Hogsmeade weekend was announced. It would be on Haloween and it would be the first time that the third years would be able to go and they were all excited. There were a lot of great shops and they were looking forward to exploring.

Unfortunately, Harry's guardians didn't feel comfortable with him going to the village. With Sirius drawing closer to Hogwarts, McGonagall didn't like the idea of Harry leaving the grounds at all.

"I'm sorry Harry," she said quietly, when Harry and his friends came to change her mind. "It's a huge risk. I want you to be safe."

Harry nodded dejectedly, leaving her office silently. "I'll stay with you," Draco said, his fingers tugging softly at the sleeve of Harry's jumper.

"No, you should go," Harry told him. "I'll be fine. I can spend some time with Moony." He forced himself to smile, despite knowing that Draco wasn't going to be fooled by it.

On Halloween morning, everyone had breakfast and then everyone going to Hogsmead made their way to the entrance hall. "We'll get lots of sweets for you," Hermione told Harry, looking rather sorry for him.

"Anything you want," Draco added. "Tell me what you want, and I'll get it for you. Unless you'd like me to stay. Just say the word."

"Have a great time, Draco," Harry insisted, gently pushing the blond toward Blaise and Ron. "Just find some good chocolate for me." He turned to Vince and Greg. "I'm fine. Just watch over the others."

Vince and Greg nodded, moving toward the doors with their friends.

Harry turned and moved away, trying to ignore the twinge of jealousy. He'd really wanted to go. Part of him wanted to be angry at Minnie and Moony. But he knew they were afraid for him.

Remus met up with Harry just outside the entrance hall. "I'm sorry Pup," he murmured. "I know you're upset with us."

"No, I understand," Harry responded, though he sounded a bit petulant.

"We want you to be able to go," Remus insisted, leading Harry to his private quarters. "But your safety comes first. For now, would you settle for some hot chocolate?" Harry smiled slightly and nodded.

They drank hot chocolate and talked until Snape showed up with a goblet that was smoking. "Severus," Lupin greeted him kindly. "Thank you, I'd nearly forgotten about my potion."

Snape handed the goblet over with a bored expression. "You'll want to drink that directly. I made a full cauldron if you need more."

"I should probably drink more tomorrow. Thank you Severus. Would you care for some hot chocolate?" Remus offered kindly.

Snape sneered at the offer and left the room without a word. Remus sighed and shook his head drinking from the goblet. Despite Snape's very obvious distaste for Remus, Remus still trusted him to make his wolfsbane potion. Remus was such a kind soul.

Harry's mind drifted, wondering what his friends were doing. Draco had seemed so bothered about leaving Harry that morning, his gray eyes practically begging for Harry to ask him to stay. It had been tempting, but Harry didn't want Draco to miss out.

Remus noted Harry's thoughtful expression and decided to give him a moment. When a house elf delivered lunch for them, Harry thanked the elf absently and picked up his sandwich.

"What's on your mind?" Remus asked finally. To his surprise, Harry blushed a little.

"I was thinking about my friends," Harry said carefully, as if weighing his words. "And- Well-"

Remus set his sandwich down and leaned closer to Harry. "You can talk to me about anything," he said gently. "Anything at all."

Harry nodded. "It's just that... Sometimes I think-" He cut himself looking frustrated and embarrassed. But, he could talk to Remus. "I- I think Draco is pretty."

Remus sat back in his seat, forcing his expression to remain neutral. "Alright. Is that all?"

Harry blinked. "It's not weird?" he asked quietly, looking anxious.

"Of course not," Remus answered firmly. "Is that all that's bothering you?"

"I don't know," Harry responded, scrubbing at his hair in agitation. "I just think about it sometimes."

"So, you have a crush on Draco?" Remus clarified, a smile tugging at his lips.

Harry glared. "Am I going to regret telling you?" he asked.

"Maybe," Remus laughed. "But, really, there's no reason to worry. It's normal and, forgive me, not completely surprising. You're too young to let this get you worked up."

Harry sighed, a bit relieved. He hadn't really put a name to this new kind of fascination with Draco. But, Remus was right. Harry loved it when Draco held his hand, regardless of the purpose of the handholding. And Draco's smile was one of Harry's favorite things.

A short time later, there was a knock at the door. Remus opened it and barely suppressed a laugh at the sight of Draco. The blond was still wearing a woolen hat and scarf over his cloak.

"What are you doing back already?" Harry asked. "I wasn't expecting you until nearly dinner time."

"I didn't want to go without you," Draco pouted. "Blaise made me stay until lunch time."

"How'd you find me?" Harry asked as Remus closed the door behind Draco.

"You said you were going to spend time with Professor Lupin," Draco replied with a little shrug. Then he grinned. "And I might have gone into your trunk to check the map."

Harry smiled, shaking his head.

Draco sat down next to Harry, looking much happier than he'd been that morning. "I got you presents," he informed Harry. He pulled out a bag that he'd been concealing in his robes. He reached in and pulled out a large chocolate bar from Honeydukes. "This is for you Professor Lupin," he said, presenting the chocolate to their professor before handing the bag to Harry.

"Thank you Draco," Remus said, accepting the chocolate with a smile. "That's very generous of you."

Harry peered into the bag with wide eyes. He reached in and pulled out a dark gray jumper that felt wonderfully soft. Under that was a new quill made from a peacock feather, a new scarf with a matching hat, and a box of chocolate.

"You didn't need to get all this," Harry objected, his fingers stroking over the jumper.

"I wanted to," Draco replied. "Shopping for you made me feel better about leaving you behind. That jumper is cashmere, by the way, so you'd better take care of it. And the chocolate is the best you can get in Hogsmeade. If you want something really good, and can request something from mother."

Harry smiled, hoping that his face wasn't too red. It certainly didn't help that Remus was standing just behind Draco, smirking at Harry. "Thank you," Harry said. "This is great."

"Hot chocolate?" Remus offered.

"I'd love some," Draco said settling onto the couch and pulling off his hat and scarf. He grimaced and reached up to touch his hair, know that his hat had ruffled it horribly. He gave Harry a pleading look. Harry grinned and carefully fixed Draco's hair.

Remus stepped out of the room, smiling fondly. Of course, he was concerned about Draco's family objecting to a relationship other than friendship. But for now, it was all rather innocent. Remus couldn't bring himself to discourage the sweetness between the two boys. As far as Remus knew, this was a first crush for both of them.

HP~HP~HP

"A first crush," Minerva sighed. "Harry's growing up so quickly. I'm not looking forward to the first heartbreak," she added with a little frown.

Remus had privately told her about the conversation he'd had with Harry. Remus and Minerva had spent seven years raising Harry together and had a great deal of respect for one another. They shared every milestone, every tear, all the joy.

Remus nodded somberly to Minerva. He certainly didn't want Harry to ever get his heart broken. But in life, it was inevitable. At the moment, it was hard to believe the Draco could be the cause of such pain. The Malfoy heir looked at Harry with such besotted devotion, as he had since they were small. But, they were children and the world had a way of spoiling such simplistic bliss.

Remus let his gaze sweep over the Great Hall. The students had returned from Hogsmead and were enjoying the Halloween feast. Remus was less enthusiastic. It was, after all, the anniversary of the day James and Peter died.

At the Slytherin table, Blaise and Draco were telling stories with elaborate hand gestures, making Harry, Vince and Greg laugh. Harry was struggling not to choke on his kidney pie as he giggled. After a little while, some of the other Slytherins were laughing along.

Harry had been supplied with a ridiculous amount of sweets. Hermione and Ron had brought back a decent variety for Harry to try. Blaise, Vince and Greg had brought back a selection of different flavored chocolates. Harry still wished he could have gone with them, but he appreciated that their thoughts had been on him during their trip.

Feeling full and tired, Harry returned to the dungeons with the other Slytherins. Marcus Flint walked along with them, eager to discuss Quidditch strategy. They'd be having their first match soon.

They hadn't been in the common room long when Snape walked in. "You may dress for bed, but you are to report to the Great Hall," he said sharply. "Now!"

Harry and Draco shared an anxious look as they obeyed the command. They changed quickly, donning pajamas and warm slippers.

"Something's wrong," Blaise muttered as they returned to the common room.

Snape and the prefects quickly made sure that all of the students were present. With that done, Snape spoke again. "We have an intruder," he said clearly. "Sirius Black attempted to get into Gryffindor tower, attacking the potrait that seals the common room. The school is being searched and all of you are being moved to the Great Hall for your protection."

Harry swallowed hard as they filed out of the common room, dread creeping over him. Draco caught Harry's hand and entwined their fingers, giving a comforting squeeze. Blaise walked at Harry's other side, his sharp eyes scanning their path. Vince and Greg positioned themselves behind Harry and Draco, watching over them. Marcus and Adrian were walking further ahead, but they kept glancing back at Harry.

"They're watching over you," Draco said softly. He felt a surge of warmth. This was real friendship. It never ceased to amaze him to witness such loyalty.

"But I don't understand," Harry whispered. "Black attacked the Fat Lady trying to get into Gryffindor. Why would he do that if he's after me?"

"He probably assumed that you're in Gryffindor," Blaise noted. "Most people thought you would be."

They arrived at the Great Hall to find that the tables were gone and that there were sleeping bags everywhere. Draco wrinkled his nose at the idea idea of sleeping on the ground, but followed Harry to a group of unclaimed sleeping bags.

Draco nudged his bag a little closer to Harry's and then climbed in. Blaise, Vince and Greg settled down in nearby sleeping bags.

"I don't like this," Draco muttered, laying on his stomach and resting his head on his arms.

"I'm sure it's just for tonight," Blaise yawned.

Harry watched as Draco eventually fell asleep, unable to rest properly himself. He could hear Dumbledore and Snape discussing the search of the castle. Sirius Black had not been found. It also seemed the Snape suspected that Black had some inside help. Harry was certain that Snape suspected Remus.

Dumbledore firmly brushed aside the concern stating that none of the teachers would assist Sirius in breaking into the school. In Harry's mind, the least likely suspect was Remus. Remus would never let anyone hurt Harry.

The next day, it became clear that Sirius Black hadn't lingered, and the students were allowed to return to their dorms. Quidditch practice resumed as planned in preparation for the first game. Slytherin was going to be playing against Gryffindor and both teams were highly competitive despite the fact that they were remarkably friendly toward one another.

They day of the game, it was pouring rain outside. Harry and Draco were shivering by the time they got to the changing rooms to get into their Quidditch gear. Adrian kindly cast warming charms on them once they were dressed for the game.

Draco gently slipped the glasses off of Harry's face and tapped them with his wand. "Impervious," he said softly. He then slid the glasses back into place. "Now they'll repel water."

Harry smiled gratefully, glad that Draco was so clever.

Harry was thoroughly soaked within seconds of stepping into the downpour. He mounted his broom anyway and took off as soon as he heard Madam Hooch's whistle blow.

Even with the charm on his glasses, it was very hard for Harry to see. The wind has picked up and it was difficult to keep the broom steady. How was he going to catch the snitch in these conditions?

Draco squinted in the rain and threw the quaffle to one of the other Chasers. He gripped his broom tightly with one hand and tried to rub water out of his eyes with the other hand. It didn't help him see any better.

The game dragged on, the rain pounding at them relentlessly. Slytherin was ahead in points, but they really needed the Snitch to be caught.

The sound of screaming and shouting caught Draco's attention. He thought, at first, that it was because the Gryffindor Seeker was closing in on the Snitch. But Harry wasn't following the other Seeker. Draco turned in time to see Harry falling from his broom, past the large crowd of dementors that had gathered around him.

Dumbledore had used a hasty spell to slow Harry's fall before using another spell to force the dementors away. Harry landed in the ground with a thud, his form not moving.

Draco landed his broom clumsily, tripping over his own feet in his rush to get to Harry. Remus and Minerva beat him there, sinking to their knees in the mud and gathering Harry close. The other players landed and ran over to them.

"Is Harry alright?" Fred asked fearfully.

"We need to get him inside," Remus said, scooping Harry up and walking toward the castle with Minerva on his heals.

Draco made to follow, but Marcus stopped him. "Get changed," he commanded quietly. "Take a shower and get yourself warm. Then go see your friend. You'll just be a bother if you go while you're in a panic."

"That's a good idea," George agreed with a nod. "Madam Pomfrey won't let you in the hospital wing right away anyway."

Draco's shoulders sagged, knowing that he couldn't argue that point. He trudged off through the mud intent on a hot shower, keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact with everyone. If tears poured down his face, nobody would be able to tell in the rain.

HP~HP~HP

Remus sat at Harry's bedside with his head in his hands. Watching Harry plummet to the ground during a Quidditch match had been terrifying. Remus still couldn't believe that the dementors had come onto the grounds and targeted Harry like that. He didn't want to think about what would happen if one got close enough to administer the dementor's kiss.

"Professor Lupin?"

Remus lifted his head and focused his bleary eyes on Draco. The blond looked strangely small and frightened as he stared at Harry's still form. "Come sit down," Remus invited, levitating a second chair over toward Harry's bed.

Draco sat down next to Remus, his trembling hands smoothing down his robes.

"Such a wretched way to end a Quidditch match," Remus commented.

Draco remained silent.

"Harry's going to be alright," Remus said, laying a comforting hand on Draco's shoulder. "He's just resting. He got too cold in the rain on top of everything else."

Draco nodded, relaxing slightly. "Part of me never wants him to play Quidditch again," he murmured.

Remus laughed wetly, rubbing at his eyes. "I was thinking the same thing," he admitted. "Harry is my son in every way that matters. It would kill me to lose him."

Draco smiled slightly. He was glad that Harry was so well loved. He deserved it. Draco even envied him a little. Of course, he knew that his parents loved him. But there was so much expectation attached to the Malfoy name. He was expected to follow his father's teachings and beliefs, be a proper pureblood wizard, marry a pureblood witch...

Draco sighed. He didn't want any of that. He didn't share his father's beliefs. Draco wasn't likely to admit it out loud, but he liked Hermione. She was annoying, but she was kind, loyal and clever. Draco didn't hate mugglebborns. Aside from the Dursleys, Draco didn't really have muggles either.

And Draco still had no interest in marrying a pureblood witch. Or any witch.

Draco's thoughts were disrupted when Harry stirred and opened his eyes. "Thank Merlin," Draco gasped, standing up and leaning against the bed. He grabbed the glasses from the side table and carefully slid them onto Harry's face.

"What happened?" Harry asked, blinking slowly as he looked around.

"You fell off your broom, Pup," Remus said, running his fingers through Harry's messy hair. "The dementors came onto the grounds and were rather interested in you. Dumbledore was furious."

"We lost the match," Harry muttered.

"Nobody blames you," Draco told him, grasping Harry's hand gently. "The Gryffindor Seeker caught the snitch, but he felt bad about it. Wanted to have a rematch. He didn't realize that you were in trouble."

"Both teams have been by to check on you," Remus added.

"My broom?" Harry prompted.

"It blew into the Whomping Willow," Draco replied apologetically. "Professor Flitwick collected the... remains. But he can't fix it."

Harry rubbed at the back of his neck looking frustrated. "Why do I react so badly to the dementors?" he asked. "You don't see anyone else fainting. Am I just-"

"You are not weak," Remus said firmly. "The dementors affect you so badly because there are horrors in your past that your classmates don't have. Dementors are foul creatures. They drain peace, hope and happiness from the air. They suck every good feeling, every happy memory right out of you. They would feed on you until there's nothing left but the worst experiences of your life." He paused and gave Harry a look of understanding. "The worst that happened to you is enough to make anyone fall off a broom. You've no reason to feel ashamed."

Harry drew in a deep breath, his eyes wet. "When the get near me-" He swallowed hard. "I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum."

Draco made a sound that might have been a whimper and gripped Harry's hand a little more firmly. Remus looked pained, biting his lip and looking down.

"I want to learn to fight them," Harry said. "Moony, you made the dementor on the train go away."

"There was only one that night," Remus reminded him. "The more there are, the harder it becomes to resist."

"It's better than nothing," Harry insisted. "I need to be able to fight back. Please teach me."

"And me," Draco added. He smiled at Harry. "I'm usually at your side. And surely two is better than one."

Remus hesitated and then nodded. "I'll try to help," he said. "It's advanced magic and not everyone can manage it. It'll have to wait until after the holidays though."

HP~HP~HP

At the end of term, most students left for the holidays. Since both of Harry's guardians were teachers, they decided to remain at the castle. Vince and Greg went home to their families, but Blaise and Draco remained. Aside from them only two other Slytherins had remained at the castle.

Hermione and Ron had decided to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays as well. Ron almost regretted his decision when he realized that his friends seemed quite keen to actually do their homework.

"Harry, you've turned into a swot!" Ron said, his tone accusing. "I thought you'd be putting your school work off for a bit."

They were sitting in the library and Harry was carefully filling out a number chart for Arithmancy. Draco, Blaise and Hermione had similar number charts in from of them.

Harry looked up from his work and smiled at Ron. "It's actually a really interesting class," he informed Ron. "Besides, if we finish our work now, we can enjoy the rest of our holidays without worrying about it."

Ron groaned dramatically and plopped into a chair next to Blaise. "Stupid nerds," he grumbled. Blaise snorted in amusement and poked Ron in the ribs, making the red head squirm.

"Let us finish this and then we can do something," Draco said, frowning at his textbook pensively.

"Snowball fight?" Ron suggested hopefully.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I suppose, but we need a teacher out there," he said, glancing quickly at Harry. "Those dementors can't be trusted to stay in their place."

Half an hour later, the Arithmancy homework was complete and they all bundled up to go outside. There were a few students outside making snow angels and snow men. "Let's see if Hagrid will come out," Harry suggested.

They hurried to Hagrid's hut and banged on his door. When he didn't answer, Harry peered around the hut and saw that the light was on inside. He knocked again, calling out. "Come out Hagrid! We're having a snow fight."

After a pause, the door swung open to reveal the gamekeeper. His face was red and blotchey and big tears were rolling down his cheeks. "What's the matter?" Hermione cried in alarm.

Hagrid sobbed and thrust a piece of folded parchment into her hands before moving back inside. The students followed him in and closed the door. Hermione read the letter with a frown.

"Oh Hagrid," she sighed sadly.

"What?" Ron asked as Harry took the letter and read it.

Harry's expression was grim. "Mr. Malfoy made an official complaint to the Board of Governors. They've contacted the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures," Harry explained. "There's going to be a hearing in March."

"Oh no," Draco murmured, guilt flooding his face. "I'm sorry Hagrid."

"None of that," Hagrid said gruffly. "S'not your fault."

"You tried to stop your dad," Ron spoke up. "And you only got hurt while protecting someone else."

"Of course," Hermione agreed. "This isn't your fault at all. Now, surely we just need a good defense. I'll do some research. There's got to be some way to save Buckbeak."

They talked for a little while, assuring Hagrid that he had their support. Hagrid seemed a bit calmer when they left, but they no longer felt like playing in the snow.

HP~HP~HP

Hogwarts was beautiful at Christmas. Garland was hanging around each doorway and window. Fairylights glittered merrily on the numerous trees set up in the castle. Some of the figures in the paintings had taken to moving from frame to frame singing Christmas carols.

On Christmas Eve, Harry had an idea. He only hoped that he could persuade Remus to agree to it.

"You want to have a sleepover?" Remus asked, looking around at Harry and his friends. They'd caught Remus just after breakfast to tell him Harry's idea.

"It would be nice to open presents together," Harry said. "We'd behave ourselves," he added.

"It would be brilliant," Ron added excitedly.

Remus shook his head. "I won't make any promises, but I'll check with Professor McGonagall and the headmaster.

When Remus presented the idea to the pair, Dumbledore looked perfectly delighted. Minerva was apprehensive though. "It seems inappropriate with Miss Granger being in attendance," she noted.

"I'm not sure that the boys have even noticed that she's a girl," Remus argued, huffing a laugh. "The most likely pair to be inappropriate is Harry and Draco. And the closest they've come to that has been to blush at the same time."

Dumbledore snorted into his teacup.

"I'm truly not worried," Remus said. "They're good kids. And I'll be sleeping in the next room."

Remus was pleased when Minerva agreed. In truth, he was a bit excited about it himself.

That evening, Harry led his friends to Remus' private rooms. They would be in sleeing bags in the sitting area. Remus invited them in and served hot chocolate and gingerbread.

They talked and laughed until they were too exhausted to stay awake any longer. They took turns changing in the bathroom before climbing into a sleeping bag. Remus waited until they were all settled before turning out the light and going to his bedroom.

It had been a wonderful night. There had been no fights at all. They'd gotten along so well. And they'd eagerly included Remus in their coversations. It was almost like having his own friends back.

The next morning, Remus woke to the sound of laughter. He got out of bed and followed the sound to find his students sitting on the floor, opening presents. Except for Draco. He primly informed Ron that he wouldn't sit on the floor like a heathen. Ron threw a ball of wrapping paper at him. With a bit of pouting and coaxing, Draco got Harry to sit on the couch with him.

Minerva was sitting in one of the arm chairs, watching the students open gifts. She smiled at Remus when she spotted him.

"Looks like mum sent something for each of us," Ron said, opening a gift from his parents. The others opened the Weasley gifts as well.

Remus smiled fondly as each teenager unwrapped a tin of homemade fudge and a knitted jumper, made by Molly Weasley.

"Is this... Is it like the jumpers that you get every year?" Blaise asked quietly.

"Er- yeah," Ron admitted, his ears turning red. "Mum makes them for everyone in the family. And anyone close enough to be like family," he added, looking at Harry. "You don't have to wear them."

Silently, Blaise pulled on the dark green jumper, glancing down at the pale green letter B on the front. Draco pulled on the ice blue jumper he'd been given, displaying a white D on the front. "It was kind of her to send these," Blaise said sincerely, marveling at how comfortable the jumper was. Draco nodded his agreement.

"Well, I might have mentioned that we were really good friends," Ron muttered, looking rather embarrassed.

"And sometimes family is what you make it," Remus said, sitting down in an arm chair and smiling fondly at his students.

"I like that," Draco said softly, snuggling into his jumper. It was a little big on him, but he found it strangely comforting. He sighed contentdly and leaned against Harry while tasting the fudge. He hummed happily at the flavor and held a piece out for Harry to try.

Remus caught the amused look that Blaise and Hermione exchanged as Draco feed Harry the fudge. Ron seemed oblivious as he reached for another present.

Once they'd opened all the gifts, everyone got dressed for breakfast. They all chose to wear their Weasley jumpers, unconcerned about appearances. It didn't matter if Draco was friendly toward Ron because anyone who might have issue with it had gone home for the holiday.

Very few students had stayed behind. Aside from Harry's group, only five students had remained. Harry supposed that it wasn't surprising considering the fact that their was still a murderer on the loose.

The day was spent playing wizards chess or exploding snap. When evening came, there was a splendid Christmas feast and festive music played. The teachers and students all sat at a table together and enjoyed the food.

As the hour grew later, the students were shooed off to bed. Harry paused to hug Remus and Minerva tightly. They returned his embrace and sent him on, waving fondly to the other students.

"We got damn lucky with that boy, Minerva," Remus said, watching Harry go.

"We did," she responded with a smile. "He's so very smart and sweet. And he's so handsome."

"You should be proud," Dumbledore said, overhearing the conversation.

"We are," Remus and Minerva said together.

Ron and Hermione went on to Gryffindor tower while Harry, Draco and Blaise went to the Slytherin common room. It had been a wonderful day and they were all rather tired.

"Well, I'm ready to-" Blaise cut himself off, his eyes wide with surprise. Then he grinned.

"What?" Draco asked, yawning.

Blaise smirked and nodded at Harry. Draco looked over at Harry as well. "I don't- Oh..." Draco said stupidly.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, tensing.

"Nothing at all," Blaise replied, thoroughly amused.

"Someone put mistletoe in here," Draco explained, pointing above Harry's head.

"Bye!" Blaise called cheerfully, swiftly heading to their dorm.

"That idiot," Harry laughed, looking a little flustered.

Draco nodded his agreement, approaching Harry apprehensively. This opportunity was just a little too good to pass up. "It's a silly tradition," Draco commented lightly. "Still, I suppose it's sweet. With the right person obviously." He stood close to Harry, meeting Harry's gaze with s shy little smile.

"Right," Harry agreed, sounding suspiciously breathless. He was a little afraid that Draco was going to be able to hear his thundering pulse.

"I could kiss you," Draco offered softly, his cheeks flushing.

Harry wasn't sure that he was capable of speech at the moment. So he settled for nodding.

Draco leaned in and gently pressed their lips together. Just for a moment. Harry's lips were so soft. And Draco's mind was abruptly clear of worry and doubt. He couldn't focus on anything but the gentle pressure of Harry's lips.

Harry's eyes fluttered open as Draco pulled away. As far as kisses went, it was simple and chaste. He'd witnessed couples snogging fervently in the common room and in mostly deserted hallways. But Harry thought that the sweet little kiss with Draco was perfect. They were just friends, but now Harry knew for sure that Draco fancied him at least a little bit.

Draco was delighted to see Harry blush and smile. "Come on," Draco said softly, tugging at Harry's sleeve gently. "Blaise is probably spying on us. The arse."

Harry laughed and followed Draco to the dorm. They found Blaise looking over a package wrapped in brown paper that was sitting on Harry's bed. Blaise looked back at them. "That's a broom," he declared, pointing an accusatory finger at the package.

It did seem to be the perfect size for a broom. Harry moved to the bed and began unwrapping the strange parcel. Blaise used the rustle of paper as a cover as he nudged Draco and murmured "I saw that."

"I knew you were spying," Draco hissed back. "You git."

"Shouldn't you be all giddy right now?" Blaise questioned, glancing at Harry meaningfully.

Draco blushed, unable to hold back a smile. "Shut up," he muttered, giving Blaise a little shove.

"Oh my..." Harry said, his stunned voice drawing the attention of the other two. He held up a broom for them to inspect, his eyes wide.

"That's a Firebolt!" Draco cried excitedly. "The best broom on the market. Who sent it to you?"

"I have no idea," Harry said. "There's no tag. No note. Who could have sent it?"

"McGonagall or Lupin?" Blaise suggested. "They're your parents. That would make sense, though it would have been nice if they'd given it to you with your other gifts. We could've tried it out."

"I don't know," Draco said uncertainly. "After the last disastrous match, do you think either of them would have got Harry a broom that's even faster than the one he lost? That just doesn't seem reasonable."

"Maybe we should ask them about it tomorrow," Harry shrugged. Blaise and Draco nodded in agreement and began preparing for bed.

Draco and Harry exchanged another shy smile as Draco slipped into bed and Harry headed out to take a shower. Draco couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he stretched out on his bed. He wouldn't have wanted to share his first kiss with anyone else. He wondered what it meant for them, but he didn't think he could gather the courage to ask.

That he had Harry's affection was enough. It wasn't that Draco could pursue a romantic relationship with Harry anyway. His father would be furious. That thought was enough to steal Draco's smile. His father's ideas of what was proper were only going to make Draco miserable.

"I don't want to marry a pureblood witch," Draco announced.

Blaise, who had just settled into his own bed, turned his head to look at Draco. "I assumed that would be the case," he said lightly.

"I'm going to be forced into a marriage anyway," Draco went on quietly.

Blaise rolled onto his side, staring at Draco. "We're already rebelling against the Slytherin status quo," Blaise noted. "It'll be alright. Be patient, and we'll find away."

Draco nodded reluctantly, murmuring a quiet thank you.

HP~HP~HP

Nobody seemed to know who had sent Harry the broom. It was swiftly confiscated so that the teachers could carefully examine it and determine if the broom had been tampered with. They couldn't be too careful.

The students returned to school and classes resumed. Draco and Harry started their private lessons with Remus, hoping they'd be able to keep up with their homework with this extra task they'd given themselves. They weren't sure of how Hermione managed it. She seemed to be taking every class that was offered, but it wasn't possible.

Remus patiently explained the patronus charm to the two boys. Their intent focus was admirable. Remus allowed Harry to try out the charm on a boggart. It would make it a bit more realistic. Draco would be able to try it a out as well, but he'd have to stay back to avoid the boggart's focus.

For an hour they practiced. Draco had managed to produce a great deal of wispy white light. Harry was a more solid form, but it hadn't taken shape into a full, corporeal patronus.

"That was remarkable!" Remus cried, grinning at them. "That's a very difficult charm. You two are managing quite well. Very impressive indeed."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar. He handed it to Harry. "Eat that," he instructed. "It really helps."

He watched as Harry and Draco leaned against each other tiredly and shared the chocolate. "What happy memories did you use?" Remus asked the pair.

"I tried a few of them," Harry said. "My big birthday dinner before second year... I was so happy to have everyone I loved there." He smiled. "I thought about my first transformation too. And my friends. Just thinking about them worked really well."

Remus nodded, looking pleased. Then he looked at Draco. Draco blushed a little. "My friends," he murmured. "Mostly Harry," he admitted sheepishly.

Harry grinned happily and Remus looked down, hiding a broad smile. "You're my best friend," Draco reminded Harry defensively. "My very first real friend. I gained my other friends through my friendship with you." Draco paused. "I also thought about our train ride home last year... When Weasley said we were... family. I- I really liked that."

Harry's smile softened. "I like that one too," he said quietly. "You could call him Ron, you know?"

Draco waved away the idea with a little smirk, making Remus laugh. "Alright, you two are done for today," Remus told them. "Until our next meeting, try to pick out specific memories to really focus on. Something that you can grab hold of quickly if you find yourself cornered by a dementor."

Harry and Draco nodded in agreement and hurried off to dinner. It was nice to know that they were on their way to feeling a bit safer around the dementors.

HP~HP~HP

At the beginning of March, they were informed that Buckbeak's hearing had gone badly. The hippogriff was going to executed at a later date. Poor Hagrid was distraught.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Harry was horrified when a very shaken Ron said that he'd seen Sirius Black.

"He was leaning over my bed holding a knife," Ron said, shuddering violently at the memory.

"How did he get in?" Blaise asked, handing Ron a bit of chocolate. Blaise always kept chocolate on hand these days.

"The mad knight that's guarding the portrait," Ron explained. "You know, while the Fat Lady is being repaired."

"Sir Cadogan," Hermione supplied.

"Him," Ron nodded, speaking around a mouthful of chocolate. "He kept changing the password and Neville couldn't remember so he made a list."

"Then Neville lost the list," Hermione sighed. "And when Black showed up with the list in hand, he was allowed in. He had all of our passwords."

"What a numpty," Ron grumbled. He'd finally regained some color in his cheeks.

A second sighting of Sirius Black within the walls of Hogwarts. And both times he'd gone to Gryffindor Tower. Perhaps he still didn't know that Harry was in Slytherin. He was probably quite mental from his time in Azkaban. It was really lucky that he hadn't hurt Ron or anyone else. But nobody really found that very comforting. Clearly, getting into the castle wasn't especially difficult for Black, which meant that he was surely going to try again.


	17. Year Three: Part Three

Tension mounted further with the sudden disappearance of Scabbers. Ron was completely certain that Crookshanks was to blame, but Hermione insisted her cat was innocent. Their friends doubted the innocence of the half kneazle, but they also didn't see the point in shouting at Hermione for it.

Ron stopped speaking to Hermione entirely, unless it was to make some pointed comment about her vicious cat or his poor murdered rat.

"She doesn't even act like she's sorry," Ron grumbled, glaring at Hermione as she left the library in an angry huff. "She's always got to be right."

"It's not as if she ate your rat," Draco said impatiently. Harry have him a sharp nudge for being insensitive.

"No, it was just her bloody cat that she never even tried to restrain," Ron hissed angrily. "She lets that bloodthirsty beast do whatever it pleases, and Scabbers got killed."

"Being mean to her doesn't bring Scabbers back," Blaise said gently. "She's your friend."

"Not if she can't admit when she's wrong," Ron retorted, turning back to his homework.

Harry sighed heavily. It could be the end of Ron and Hermione's friendship. The idea was awful and Harry didn't want to lose either of them as a friend.

One night, Harry was awake in bed. The stress of looming exams, Sirius Black, and the fight between Ron and Hermione was making it difficult for Harry to relax. On a whim, he grabbed the Marauders' Map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Harry whispered, tapping the map with his wand.

He watched the elaborate map of Hogwarts spread over the parchment. There was very little movement on the parchment since it was so late. He could see that Snape was patrolling one of the corridors. Harry's gaze drifted lazily across the map, freezing on a name that was showing on the third floor.

"Peter Pettigrew?" Harry murmured. He sat up and bit his lip, looking at Draco.

Making a quick decision, Harry tiptoed to Draco's bed and quietly shook the blond's shoulder. Draco frowned a little, his eyes fluttering open. "What's wrong?" Draco asked, his voice thick with sleep.

"I saw something strange on the map," Harry whispered. "I need to go check it out. I knew that you'd be mad if I didn't at least let you know. But you can stay in bed."

"Don't be stupid, I'm coming with you," Draco said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Harry thought he looked adorable with his hair all ruffled. "What did you see?" Draco asked.

"Peter Pettigrew," Harry responded.

Draco froze for a moment. Then he got out of bed hastily. "Get dressed," he commanded, quickly shedding his pajamas.

For a moment, Harry was distracted by Draco's pale skin, illuminated only by the soft glow coming from Harry wand. Harry shook himself and quickly changed his own clothes.

Fully dressed, they grabbed Harry's invisibility cloak and left the dorm, silent as shadows. They crowded close together and hurried through the castle, concealed by the cloak. Emboldened by their invisibility, Draco grabbed onto Harry's hand and held on, grinning when Harry squeezed his fingers lightly in response.

The arrived at the third floor and lit their wands to get a better look at the map. The hallway was deserted aside from themselves and Peter Pettigrew. But, where was he? "I don't understand," Draco murmured. "Maybe the map made a mistake?"

"Maybe," Harry said, disappointed. He thought for a moment. "I think we should tell Moony. Right now."

"Let's go then," Draco nodded. He reached for Harry's hand again and entwined their fingers. "Lead the way."

Harry allowed the warmth of Draco's hand to sooth his frayed nerves as he took them to Moony's private rooms. A glance at the map told him that Moony was still awake and pacing. So, he knocked on the door softly.

"Harry? Draco?" Remus looked between the two boys as Harry folded the cloak over one arm. "What are you doing in the hallway at this hour?"

"I saw Peter Pettigrew on the map," Harry blurted out.

Remus started, his breath catching in his throat. "That's not possible," he said unsteadily.

"It's true," Draco said. "I saw it too. But, we never saw him. We went to the corridor where Pettigrew supposedly was and didn't see anybody."

"You went looking for him?" Remus asked, horrified.

"I brought Draco with me and we used the invisibility cloak," Harry assured the werewolf. "We were really careful."

"Yes, well..." Remus shook his head. "It's not possible, and what you've done is still dangerous. Sirius Black knows this castle well. Even without the map."

"Sorry," Harry muttered. "I just wanted to help."

Remus sighed, patting Harry's shoulder. "Hello my by staying safe," he said firmly. "Don't force me to endure losing anyone else."

Harry nodded, allowing Remus to hug him tightly. When he pulled away, he noticed that Remus still looked rather pale and anxious.

"Harry, I'm going to hold on to the map for now," Remus said. "I'll need to check for flaws... You two go straight back to your dorm. No detours," he added, tapping the map pointedly.

As the two boys left, Remus went to sit on his couch. He unfolded the map with trembling fingers. Harry hadn't wiped it, so the map was still showing. Remus looked it over thoroughly, but didn't see Peter or Sirius.

Was the map malfunctioning? Because if the map was perfectly fine, that meant that Peter was alive. And that changed everything.

Remus curled up on the couch, too shaken to move to his bed. If Peter was alive, then Sirius had spent seven years in Azkaban for a murder he hadn't committed. But, that couldn't be. Peter had been killed. But, the map...

Remus wept bitterly, his mind full of painful memories. He'd tried his best over the years to avoid thinking about his friends. Sirius' betrayal had been an awful shock. It had been unbelievable. Confusing.

Sirius would have died to protect James. They'd been like brothers.

Remus heaved a shuddering breath. He needed to know for sure. If there was a chance that Peter was alive, Remus needed to know. He knew that there was a very good chance that he would have to face Sirius, one way or the other. He wasn't sure that his poor battered heart could take it.

HP~HP~HP

The time came for exams and Harry felt that he was reasonably prepared. He'd studied a great deal with Draco and Blaise. Occasionally they'd studied with Ron and Hermione, but Ron had made that a bit difficult. Hermione had left several study sessions in tears.

Professor Lupin's exam was a little unusual. They had to go through an obstacle course and face several of the creatures that they'd learned about that year, the last one being a boggart. Harry completed the exam easily, grinning broadly as he stepped out of the obstacle course.

"Excellent work Harry," Remus beamed. "Full marks."

Draco did very well too. Until he got to the boggart. When he stepped out to meet Remus, he was pale and shaking. "It's alright," Remus soothed. "You panicked but you recovered quickly. Very well done." He pressed a sliver of chocolate into Draco's hand. "Go sit with Harry for a moment and calm down," he advised quietly.

Draco moved to sit down in a chair by the window. Harry sat next to him, looking over at the line of students waiting to enter the obstacle course.

"What was your boggart?" Harry asked softly, turning to Draco with a worried frown.

Draco swallowed the chocolate in his mouth. "I saw my father-" He paused, shuddering. "Killing you," he said, looking away from Harry.

"I'm so sorry," Harry whispered. "That must have been awful." He looked around to make sure they weren't being watched and then leaned close, as if to whisper in Draco's ear. Instead, Harry kissed Draco's cheek. "It's alright now. I'm safe." Draco blushed and a smile blossomed on his face.

A commotion drew there as attention and they saw Hermione in hysterics next to Remus. "What's wrong?" Remus asked, alarmed.

"It was Professor McGonagall," Hermione blurted out, her eyes wide with horror. "She said that I'd failed everything!"

Draco burst out laughing, earning a scowl from Remus and Harry. "Granger, that's just not possible," he chuckled. "Come sit down and stop shrieking."

Hermione accepted some chocolate from Remus and moved to sit next to Draco. Harry watched in amazement as Draco leaned in and began speaking so quietly that Harry couldn't hear him. Whatever the blond was saying seemed to be making Hermione feel better. After a few moments, she smiled and reached out to squeeze Draco's hand.

Blaise and Ron did rather well on the defense exam too. Vince and Greg hadn't preformed as well as the others, but they had passed and they seemed quite pleased.

Thanks to Draco's tutoring Harry managed to do well on the potions exam. Potions were certainly not Harry's best class, but he performed admirably with some hard work. Snape only gave a short nod of approval at Harry's potion, but Harry was pleased.

Draco's potion was the best, unsurprisingly. Hermione's was a close second. But even more impressive was the fact that Neville had made a passable potion without explosions, injuries or tears.

On the second day of exams, Harry received an owl from Hagrid during breakfast. Harry read the message with a heavy heart. "Buckbeak is going to be executed at sunset," he said.

"Poor Hagrid," Blaise said, stirring milk into his tea.

"Do you to go see him after exams?" Draco asked Harry.

Harry nodded, pushing his plate away. He was too anxious to eat. When breakfast was over, he hurried along, wanting to get his Arithmancy exam over with.

The exam was difficult, but Harry was delighted to find himself feeling confident in his answers. He'd worked hard and it showed. Professor Vector every gave him a little wink after she's looked over his answers.

"I told you that it would be fine," Draco said, smiling at Harry. "You're much smarter than you give yourself credit for."

"We're geniuses," Blaise announced merrily, stepping between the two and draping his arms across their shoulders. His grin fell when he saw Ron approaching, his face unusually pale.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Trelawney-" Ron blurted out, his hands shaking as a waved a hand vaguely in the direction he's just come from. "I was leaving after my exam, and...I think she made a real prophesy."

"What?" Hermione asked sharply, making the boys jump.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Blaise gasped looking bewildered. She hadn't been there a moment ago.

Hermione waved him off, looking intently at Ron. In his anxiety, Ron seemed to forget that he was angry at her. "Her voice went all funny," Ron said. "She went into a sort of trance."

"What did she say?" Draco asked.

Ron frowned, struggling to remember the details. "Something about the Dark Lord's servant being chained for twelve years. Before midnight, the servant will break free and join his master." Ron swallowed hard. "She said that the Dark Lord will rise again and be more terrible than before. Not her exact words, but the message was pretty clear."

"Sirius Black is going to get away and go back to Voldemort," Harry said quietly, ignoring the way his friends flinched at the name.

"Look, that woman is barmy," Blaise said. "That's why we dropped her class. There's no sense in getting worked up. Trelawney is always predicting doom and gloom. The other teachers never take her seriously." He handed Ron a chocolate frog. "Let's focus on completing our exams and supporting Hagrid."

Ron bit into the chocolate frog silently while Draco cocked one eyebrow at Blaise. "It's weird that you just keep pulling those things out of your pockets," Draco said. Blaise just smirked.

They finished their exams for the day and hurried to Hagrid's hut after dinner. Hagrid invited them in with tear filled eyes. Nobody spoke much, unsure of what to say. Hermione cried silently throughout their visit, though she busied herself making tea so Hagrid wouldn't see her tears.

Hermione suddenly let out a squeal when Scabbers tumbled out of Hagrid's milk jug. The rat looked dreadful. He was thin and had patches of fur missing. He struggled in Ron's grasp, but Ron held on, shocked at the sight of his rat. Clearly, he'd not been eaten by Crookshanks.

The teenagers snuck out the back door as the Minister, Dumbledore, an older gentleman that was likely from the Committee and the executioner in a black hood approached the hut. Harry led the group behind the patch of enormous pumpkins and crept ina wide circle to move back toward the school. Scabbers was still flailing and shrieking, trying escape Ron's grip.

There was the sound of a swish and heavy thud of an axe. Hermione's silent tears turned into loud wracking sobs. Draco and Harry pulled her close, hugging her between them while she cried.

Ron cried out suddenly and there was a soft thud as he dropped Scabbers. "He bit me," Ron said in disbelief.

There was a flash of orange and Scabbers bolted, Crookshanks darting after him. Ron gave chase, shouting at the cat. The others ran after them.

Ron managed to grab Scabbers and shoved the rat into his pocket. In the next moment, a huge black dog emerged from the growing shadows and leapt at Ron, seizing the red-heads leg in his jaws.

Harry, Draco and Blaise made to rush forward, but the were abruptly knocked backward. They'd run toward the Whomping Willow and it was now swinging its branches threateningly while the dog pulled Ron into a large hole in the trunk. One of the braches caught Ron's leg, breaking it easily. Ron screamed in pain evenas he disappeared from sight.

"We've got to get a teacher!" Hermione screamed hysterically.

"There's no time," Harry snapped, eyeing the swinging branches. "Sirius could kill him."

"How do we get through?" Blaise asked, sounding frantic.

Crookshanks darted beneath the branches and up to the tree trunk. He stood up on his hind legs and pressed his front paws onto a strange knot on the tree. The branches stilled.

"How did Crookshanks know?" Hermione asked, wide eyed and frightened.

"Ask him later," Harry said impatiently. "Let's go."

They hurried to slide through the opening in the tree trunk one at a time. They landed in a dark tunnel and quickly started moving forward with their wand tips lit. The tunnel was long and quite dirty. After a while, they climbed up a ladder and found themselves in a run down room with dusty wood floors.

"I think this is the Shrieking Shack," Hermione said quietly, looking around.

They heard a sound above them so the swiftly made their way up some rickety stairs. They could hear Ron's whimpers of pain now, so they followed the sound into a room. Ron was sitting on an old matress, clutching at his leg.

"No," Ron gasped. "Harry it's a trap."

Harry whirled around to see Sirius Black in his human form, holding Ron's wand. His clothes were tattered and dirty. His dark hair was matted and his body was thin and frail looking. His gray eyes were sunken and his skin waxy.

Harry was suddenly filled with rage. He lunged at Sirius, only to have his friends yank him back. Draco shoved Harry behind himself as Ron clambered off the bed and leaned against Draco's side, his face white.

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too," Ron said weakly, pain radiating up his leg and making him nauseous. Blaise and Hermione moved to step between Harry and Sirius as well.

"You should lie down," Sirius said quietly. "You'll damage your leg even more."

"Didn't you hear me?" Ron gasped, swaying slightly. "You'll have to kill all for of us to get to Harry."

"No, only one will die tonight," Sirius replied, his face contorting into a terrifying grin.

"Why?" Harry snapped. "You didn't seem bothered by it when you killed all those muggles to get to Peter."

"Harry, shut up," Draco said, a warning in his voice.

"He murdered my parents!" Harry shouted, suddenly lurching past his friends and launching himself at Sirius. He knocked Sirius to the ground and wrenching the wand from his grasp. Harry got to his feet, panting harshly as he pointed his wand at Sirius' stunned face.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione cried.

The orange cat had darted into the room and leapt onto Sirius' chest. His claws dug into the filthy clothes, showing that he had no intention of moving.

Harry's heartbeat thundered in his ears. This was the man that responsible for the death of his parents. For Peter's death. For Moony's broken spirit. Harry probably should have been unnerved by his own desire to hurt Sirius... To kill him. But Harry was to caught up in his own fury. And if Crookshanks wouldn't move- Well, that wasn't really Harry's problem.

But Harry couldn't bring himself to move. He just stood there, seething, with Sirius Black at wand point.

They heard a noise from nearby and Hermione called out. "We're in here! It's Sirius Black! Help us!"

Remus burst into the room, looking frantic. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted.

Harry stared at Remus blankly at his and Ron's wanna flew out of his hands. Draco, Hermione and Blaise were disarmed as well. Remus caught all the wands before looking at Sirius. "Where is he?" he asked quietly.

Sirius blinked and then pointed at Ron who was being lowered back onto the mattress.

Remus glanced toward Ron before refocusing on Sirius. "You switched, without telling me?" he asked, his voice tense.

Sirius nodded, his expression suddenly pained. Remus lowered his wand and pulled Sirius to his feet. In the next moment, the two men were hugging each otherly tightly.

Harry's mouth fell open in shock.

"No!" Hermione screamed suddenly.

Remus and Sirius broke apart, looking at Hermione. Draco was shaking and pulling Harry backwards and into his arms. Harry was staring at Remus fearfully.

"I trusted you," Hermione growled at Remus. "But you're his friend. You've been helping him all this time." She turned to Harry. "Harry, he can't be trusted. He's a werewolf."

Harry drew in a shuddering breath. "I know that," Harry admitted. "I've known that for years."

"But- Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione asked. Blaise was looking equally shocked.

"It wasn't something that you needed to know," Harry replied. "I was respecting his privacy." He looked back at Remus, his voice catching in his throat. "Please tell me this isn't what it looks like," he begged, tears spilling over.

"I would never betray you," Remus said, his tone pleading. "Will you allow me to show you?"

Harry nodded slowly, rubbing at his eyes. Remus tossed the teenagers their wands and tucked his own into a pocket. "Could I see your rat?" Remus asked Ron.

"Why?" Ron snapped. "What does Scabbers have to do with anything?"

"Everything," Remus said.

Ron pulled a wildly thrashing Scabbers out of his robes. Remus peered at him intently. "That's not a rat," Remus said, forcing his voice to sound calm.

"Are you mental-"

"It's a wizard," Remus said.

"Oh my-" Harry cut himself off, his expression horrified. "Peter Pettigrew... His animagus form was a rat."

"Exactly," Remus nodded, looking a little relieved.

"No," Ron said firmly. "Scabbers is not some dead bloke named Peter. You're mental," he snapped jabbing a finger towards Remus and Sirius.

"Explain this," Harry said, glaring at Sirius. "If that's Pettigrew, what really happened?"

"That will be an interesting story indeed," said a drawling voice. They turned to see Snape standing in the doorway with his wand pointed at Sirius. He sneered at Remus. "I told Dumbledore that you were letting an old friend into the castle. And here I have the proof."

"Professor Snape, please hear them out," Harry begged. Snape glanced at him with narrowed eyes. "Remus would never let anything happen to me. And something strange is going on."

"Please let them explain," Draco piped in. "They're completely unarmed. Please," he added softly.

Snape growled but gave Remus a jerky nod.

Remus looked at Sirius. "How did you know where to find Peter?" he asked.

Sirius pulled out a newspaper clipping that had a picture of the Weasley family from over the summer. On Ron's shoulder was Scabbers. "I'd seen Pete transform so many times," Sirius muttered. "I knew it was him straight away. And he's got a toe missing," he added, sounding oddly smug.

"He cut it off himself?" Remus questioned, getting a confirming nod from Sirius. "The biggest part of Peter that was ever found was a finger." He looked the rat over with a frown. "He looks pretty bad. I imagine he's been terrified since he found out that Sirius was out."

"No, he's just been afraid of that mad cat," Ron retorted, pointing at Crookshanks who was now winding himself around Draco and Harry's ankles and purring.

"That cat is the most intelligent animal I've ever met," Sirius said, his voice rough. "He recognized Peter for what he really was. Knew right off that I want a dog and it took a while to gain his trust. But eventually I was able to communicate what I was after and Crookshanks has been helping me."

"Crookshanks helped you?" Hermione asked faintly, looking a bit dazed.

"He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't," Sirius explained. "Then he brought me a list of the passwords... Took it off of a boy's dresser apparently."

Sirius sighed heavily, returning to his narrative of the past. "I persuaded James and Lily to make Peter their secret keeper at the last moment," he said, his voice breaking. "It's my fault that their dead."

For a moment, the room was silent.

"Alright, there's one way to prove what happened," Remus said finally. "Ron, hand me the rat. If he's just a rat, it won't hurt him at all."

Ron hesitated and then handed the rat over.

There was a flash of blue light from Remus' wand and Ron yelled as Scabbers hit the floor. And then Scabbers was growing and changing rapidly. After a few moments there was a short, pudgy man climbing up from the floor. His thinning hair was unkempt and he had an overall grubby appearance. He had a pointed nose and small watery eyes.

"Pettigrew," Snape murmured, his eyes wide with shock.

"Hello Peter," Remus said in a cheerful voice.

HP~HP~HP

Harry was grateful when he felt an arm slide around his waist. He leaned gratefully against Draco, physically and emotionally exhausted. Hermione stood at his other side, gripping his hand. Blaise had taken a seat next to Ron, who looked ready to pass out.

The story that unfolded from the adults was confusing. Peter tried insisting the Sirius was a Dark Wizard and a spy for Voldemort. But, Remus wasn't buying it.

Sirius explained that he'd gone to check on Peter at his hiding place on that Halloween night, only to discover it empty. There'd been no sign of a struggle and Sirius had been worried. He went straight to the Potter's house, but it had been destroyed and he'd found James and Lily's bodies. He located Peter and confronted him, but Peter blew up half the street before transforming and disappearing into the sewers.

Sirius couldn't be sure how he'd remained sane in Azkaban. He guessed that it had been the knowledge of his own innocence. He transformed into a dog when the presence of the dementors became too much.

When he realized that Peter was at Hogwarts, he'd been determined to escape. When the cell door was opened, he'd slipped out as a dog and the dementors had been confused since they can't actually see. Sirius swam to the mainland and then made his way to Hogwarts.

"We had suspected a spy among our number," Remus said quietly. He looked at Sirius. "I assume that you thought it was me? Which was why didn't tell me about making Peter the secret-keeper instead of you.

Sirius bowed his head. "Forgive me for doubting you," he said softly.

Remus was silent for a moment, needing to gather his composure. "Of course," he responded, once he was sure that he could keep his voice steady. He cleared his throat before glancing between Snape and his students. "Nobody would have ever suspected Peter. Especially us."

"He'd been passing information to Voldemort for a year before James and Lily were killed," Sirius said, his eyes narrowing on Peter. "He wasn't merely afraid for his life like he will want you to believe. He's a traitor and a murderer."

"No!" Peter cried, shaking his head vigorously.

"You sold our friends to Voldemort," Remus growled.

"I didn't mean to," Peter insisted. "He's got more power than you can imagine. What would you have done Sirius?"

"I would have died!" Sirius roared. "I would have died rather than betray my friends!"

Desperate, Peter threw himself at the feet of the students, begging for mercy. Ron was horrified and did his best to edge away when Peter approached. Blaise sneered and pointed his wand directly between Peter's eyes. When Peter crawled to Hermione instead she kicked his reaching hands away and back up. Finally, Peter decided to plead with Harry.

"Don't touch me," Harry said coldly, feeling confident with Draco's hand resting against his back. "We'll take you to the castle and the dementors can have you." Peter looked terrified, but Harry felt no pity for him.

Peter was bound in rope while the five students headed back through the tunnel with Harry and Blaise helping Ron to hobble along. Remus and Sirius followed them out while Snape pulled Peter along with him.

The sun had set and the sky had grown dark. Ron was settled on the grass to rest his leg as Snape yanked Peter out of the tunnel harshly. While the took a moment to catch their breath, Sirius was at Harry in wonder. Just as Sirius opened his mouth to speak, Hermione gasped. The others turned to look at her, only to find her staring in horror at the full moon.

"No," Harry breathed, his gaze darting to Remus. Remus had gone stiff and then his limbs began to shake.

"He didn't take his potion," Hermione gasped. "He's not safe."

"Run," Sirius whispered. "You've got to get out of here."

But, Ron wouldn't be able to run. He could barely keep himself upright and his friends weren't going to leave him.

There was a snarl and they could see Remus' head and body lengthening. His shoulders were hunching and hair was sprouting everywhere. His hands were turning into paws. As the werewolf turned and snapped it's jaws, Sirius transformed into the enormous black dog and bounded forward. The dog seized the werewolf by the neck and pulled it backward, away from the teenagers.

For a moment, they were all frozen at the sight. The werewolf and dog were clawing viciously at each other, jaws snapping ferociously. Peter took advantage of their distraction to seize Remus' wand from the ground and send a few spells at his captors. He hit Snape first, knocking the potions master backwards and making him hit his head. Ron was hit by a spell as well and fell to the ground in a heap.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand at Peter. Remus' wand went flying. "Stay right there!"

Peter transformed and then took off through the grass.

There was a howl and suddenly the werewolf took off into the forest.

"That was convenient," Draco panted, looking rather shaken.

"Sirius, he's gone!" Harry yelled. "Peter transformed!" Sirius was bleeding from multiple gashes on his muzzle and back. But, he jumped to his feet took off running after the rat.

Harry, Hermione and Draco hurried to Ron and Professor Snape. Blaise was already kneeling between them, looking them over with an anxious expression. "They're alive, but I'm not sure what Pettigrew hit them with," Blaise said, his voice tense.

"We need to get help," Hermione whispered, looking around fearfully.

Harry opened his mouth but he heard yelping and whining. The sound of dog in pain. "Sirius," Harry muttered, peering out into the darkness. He glanced at Ron's unconscious form and then at his other friends. Then he took off, following the sound of the dog. He could hear the pounding of feet behind him. At the very least, Draco was following.

Harry following the yelping sound down toward the lake and fear gripped him when the sound suddenly stopped. As he reached the lakeshore, he saw that Sirius had turned back into a man and was crouched on the ground with his hands over his head.

"No," Sirius moaned. "Please..."

There were at least a hundred dementors gliding around the lake toward them. Harry could feel the familiar icy cold overwhelming his senses, his vision blurring. "Think of something happy!" Harry shouted, raising his wand and trying to clear his mind of the faint screaming that had started.

"Expecto patronum!" Harry cried, his voice hoarse. Behind him, he heard Draco shout the incantation as well. They tried over and over, their voices growing weaker and their strength fading. A little wisp of silver escaped Harry's wand, but it faded uselessly.

Harry's knees hit the grass. Draco collapsed next o him. It was over. Harry didn't have the strength to go on. He couldn't conjure a patronus. He couldn't save Sirius.

The closest dementor grabbed Harry and forced his face upward. Harry couldn't even struggle. But then, he saw a light from the opposite side of the lake. It was growing brighter and brighter.

Harry fell forward onto the grass, sick and shaking. The dementor must have released him. The screaming had stopped and the cold was receding. Something was driving the dementors back.

Harry raised his head a bit and saw some sort of animal in the light. He took off across the lake and Harry squinted, but he couldn't tell what the creature was. And then he realized that there were two animals there in the light. They halted at the opposite shore and Harry could see people welcoming them back.

Harry's head hit the ground as he fainted.

HP~HP~HP

"Please wake up, Harry."

Harry groaned, and struggled to open his eyes. His head was aching and he was exhausted. But, Hermione sounded rather anxious so he forces his eyes open to find her staring down at him. He was in the hospital wing, on a bed. Again.

"Thank Merlin," Hermione sighed, her eyes full of tears. "Harry they've got Sirius. Any moment now the dementors are going to perform the kiss. They'll take his soul."

Harry sat up, fighting against a wave of dizziness. "We can't let that happen." He looked around and saw that Draco was sitting on the next bed, looking even more pale than usual. Ron was on another bed, with his lower right leg wrapped securely in bandages. Blaise was sitting on the edge of Ron's bed, his face tense with worry.

The door to the infirmary burst open and the headmaster walked in, relief flooding his face when he saw that Harry was awake.

"Headmaster, they've got the wrong man," Hermione blurted out.

"Sirius Black is innocent," Harry added. "Peter Pettigrew is alive and he's been disguising himself as Ron's rat."

"You've got to believe us," Draco piped in.

"I do," Dumbledore said gravely. "But, Professor Snape is still unconscious, Remus is off in the forest and we have no evidence to prove Sirius' innocence. It is too late." He peered at Harry and then looked over at a clock on the opposite wall before turning his keen gaze on Hermione. "What we need is more time," Dumbledore said pointedly.

"Oh!" Hermione cried.

"Do we get to use the time turner?" Draco asked.

Hermione turned to look at the blond in surprise. "Please, I'm not an idiot," Draco scoffed. "Nobody can be in two places at once."

"Pay attention," Dumbledore urged, keeping his voice down. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the righ tof the West Tower. If you succeed, more than one innocent life may be spared. But remember... You must not be seen." He walked toward the door and then glanced at the clock again. "I am going to lock you in. "It's five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it." He stepped out of the infirmary and shut the door behind him.

Harry was a bit confused but Draco looked excited. "I'm right, aren't I?" Draco asked Hermione. He grinned when she pulled a long gold chain from beneath her robes. There was a tiny sparkling hourglass hanging from it.

"Come here Harry," Hermione said, holding the chain out from her body as Harry came closer. She threw the chain around his neck hastily.

"You're not going anywhere without me," Draco declared, hurrying over and pulling the chain around his neck as well. He looked back at Blaise. "Watch over Weasley. We'll be back."

Hermione turned the hourglass over three times. Suddenly, there was a blur of colors flying past them. It made Harry feel rather nauseous.

"What just happened?" Harry asked, looking around the empty infirmary nervously. Ron and Blaise were nowhere to be seen.

"It's a time turner," Draco said, taking hold of Harry's hand and leading them out of the infirmary. "We've gone back in time."

"I've been using it to get to all of my extra classes," Hermione explained. "Professor McGonagall got special permission from the Ministry of Magic for me to use one. She made me swear that I wouldn't tell anyone. This is how I've been doing several lessons at once."

Harry stared at her for a moment. Her explanation was reasonable, but he'd had no idea that time travel was possible. "So, what are we doing?" he asked, deciding not to dwell on the new information for the moment.

Hermione frowned. "There's got to be a reason that Dumbledore wanted us to come here," she muttered. "There's something he wants us to change."

Draco's face lit up with a smile. "We're saving Buckbeak!" he exclaimed in an excited whisper. "We'll save the hippogriff and then Sirius can escape with it."

"We want to clear his name," Harry objected.

"And we will," Draco agreed. "But for now we have to get him away from the dementors."

"Let's go," Hermione urged. "And remember that we can't be seen. Awful things happen to wizards that meddle with time."

They made their way toward Hagrid's hut and ducked behind the large pumpkins. Buckbeak was tethered to a post next to the pumpkin patch. They could spot Ron's red hair inside the hut. "This is weird," Draco muttered.

"Alright we're in Hagrid's house now," Hermione said. "I can see Dumbledore and the Minister coming over that hill. Let's hide over there until our other selves get out of the way."

The trio scurried over to the nearby trees at the edge of the forest. They waited, watching as their past selves, along with Ron and Blaise, ducked behind the pumpkins before running back toward the castle.

Harry crept forward and bowed to Buckbeak. Draco and Hermione quickly did the same. Buckbeak bowed back. Harry hastily untied the hippogriff while Hermione lured the creature with a dead ferret. They hurried into the forest and away from the hut. They could hear the sound of the Minister's frustrated complaints as they picked their way through the trees.

They settled themselves on a hill that allowed them a decent view of the Whomping Willow. Now, they could only wait. Draco slid his hand into Harry's, not caring that Hermione could see it. Hermione smiled slightly but didn't comment.

It was so hard to just watch and wait while knowing what was about to happen. They saw Remus go into the tunnel and, a short time later, Snape did as well.

Finally, Hermione stood up. There were figures emerging from the tunnel. Draco and Harry rose as well, hardly blinking as they watched the scene before then unfold. Remus' transformation wasn't any easier to watch a second time.

Suddenly Hermione cupped her hands around her mouth and howled. "What the hell are you doing?" Draco snapped.

"Saving us," Hermione retorted. Sure enough, the werewolf had dropped the black dog and moved away from their other selves. Toward them.

"Brilliant," Draco sneered. "Run!"

They turned and ran through the trees, ducking behind a very large trunk. They panted as quietly as they could, trying to catch their breath.

Hermione gasped when they heard a snarl and the werewolf was suddenly right in front of them. Harry swiftly grabbed Draco and Hermine, doing his best to shield them with his body.

And then the snarling became a yelp. Buckbeak had galloped to the rescue and run the werewolf off. Shaking, Hermione rewarded the hippogriff with another dead ferret. Draco simply clung to Harry for a moment, to shaken to speak or move.

Harry finally stepped out of Draco's arms, giving the blond's hand a quick squeeze. "Come on," Harry said quietly. "We're not done yet."


	18. Year Three: Part Four

Harry, Draco and Hermione stood near the lake, watching as Sirius stumbled toward the water on the other side. He'd transformed back into a man, his close more ragged and dirty than ever. Dementors were gliding forward, intent on crossing the lake and getting toward their prey.

They could see the other Harry and Draco running toward Sirius.

"Okay, so whoever used the patronus charms was about there," Harry said pointing toward a spot further ahead. "I couldn't see who it was."

The other Harry and Draco had collapsed and one of the dementors was grabbing Harry. Any minute now.

"Nobody else is coming," Hermione said, sounding slightly hysterical.

Harry and Draco shared a wide eyed look of understanding. Rushing forward, they both lifted their wands. "Expecto Patronum!" the shouted together.

White light burst from their wands. It was nearly blinding. Harry squinted and his breath caught in his throat at the sight.

Wolves. There was a pair of large wolves radiating light that illuminated the lake. They charged forward with silent howls, forcing the dementors back.

"Harry..." Draco whispered. "We did it."

Once the dementors had fully retreated, the wolves loped back toward them. Harry reached out but the wolves disappeared.

"How did-" Hermione hurried forward looking stunned. "You both conjured corporeal patronuses. That very advanced magic..."

"We knew we could do it this time," Harry said, smiling at Draco. "Now lets get ready to save Sirius again."

Dumbledore, the Minister and the executioner came running toward the lake and found the unconscious forms of Draco, Harry and Sirius. They began levitated the bodies to take them back to the castle.

Harry and Draco kept Hermione between them on Buckbeak's back as they flew back toward the castle. Draco and Hermione were dropped off near the front door to hide and wait. Harry flew Buckbeak to the window of Flitwick's office and opened it with a hasty spell.

Sirius leapt to his feet, his eyes bright with hope. "How did you-"

"Just hurry!" Harry exclaimed.

Sirius climbed through the window and onto the hippogriff. They flew back to Draco and Hermione, exhilerated.

"You've got to take Buckbeak and go," Harry told Sirius. "We're going to clear your name, but for now you have to survive."

"I'll be nearby," Sirius said, looking exhausted. I'll get Buckbeak to a safe place and I'll come back."

"Just be careful," Harry nodded.

Sirius' expression was pained. "Tomorrow," he insisted.

"Quickly," Draco hissed, waving Sirius off and pulling Harry toward the castle.

Sirius climbed back onto Buckbeak and flew off into the night. The three students took off running toward the infirmary. When they got there, they saw Dumbledore walking away from the doors.

"Sir!" Harry called out, drawing Dumbledore's gaze. "We did it."

"Did what?" Dumbledore asked, feigning innocence. "Good night," he said, winking.

"Nutter," Draco chuckled softly as they pushed open the infirmary door. Blaise was still sitting on Ron's bed, looking worried.

"How did you do that?" Ron blurted out when he saw them.

Blaise leapt from the bed and ran toward them, surprising them we with a hug. Blaise didn't usually hug people. "Thank Merlin," Blaise sighed, releasing his friends to look them over. "To me you've only been gone a moment... But I knew what happened tonight. You could have died."

"There was just one really awful moment with the werewolf," Draco said, making Hermione wince. "But we mostly stayed out of the way."

"Does somebody want to explain what's going on?" Ron demanded.

Blaise smiled. "You need to rest," he said, returning to Ron's side. "We'll explain tomorrow."

"You're all going to rest," Madam Pomfrey chided, coming out of her office. "All of you. In the beds this instant."

The students gratefully settled into the beds, eager to rest. The following day was going to be busy indeed.

HP~HP~HP

Remus returned to the castle in the late morning. He had a few scratches on his neck, but was mostly unharmed. He refused to stay in the infirmary, insisting that he would rest in his private rooms. Of course, speaking to the minister was a higher priority, so that would come first.

Minister Fudge had been furious that the prisoner had escaped. That was two in one day.

"He shouldn't be a prisoner," Remus said tiredly, accepting a cup of tea from Dumbledore. They were all crowded into Dumbledore's office. It seemed like the best location for their discussion. Minerva had been invited to sit in on it as the Deputy Headmistress.

"You were his friend in school," Fudge said, shaking his head. "You are understandably-"

"Peter Pettigrew isn't dead," Harry insisted. Draco, Hermione, Ron and Blaise all nodded their agreement.

"I cannot simply take the word of five underaged wizards," Fudge said with a sigh.

"And what of my word?"

The room grew quiet as everyone turned to look at Snape. His body was tense and he looked rather irritated. "I saw Peter Pettigrew with my own eyes. He is an unregistered animagus. I saw him turn into a man and then back into a rat when he escaped," Snape said, scowling. "Black cannot be imprisoned for the murder of a man that lives. No matter how much I'd prefer it," he added in a grumble. "And he clearly had no interest in harming Potter."

Remus quickly explained the story of Peter's betrayal. Fudge listened with a look of horror on his features.

"There you have it," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "I'm sure we can offer memories for the Wizengamot. I'm sure you wouldn't mind clearing Sirius' name as quickly as possible?"

Fudge looked dazed, but he nodded. He hurried away with a promise to be in touch very soon.

Remus sighed heavily, rubbing at his face. "Severus," he said quietly. "Thank you. I can't tell you how grateful I am."

Severus scowled. "Just keep your dog on a leash," he snapped. He turned to Harry and Draco. "Your behavior tonight has been reckless and not fitting for Slytherin. However, I have heard that your Patronus charms were... impressive."

"Really?" Remus asked, turning to the two boys with wide eyes. "You managed it?"

"Corporeal Patronuses," Dumbledore put in, smiling proudly. "They got rid of at least a hundred dementors. We could see them clearly as we ran to the lake. Of course, I could only guess at who had conjured them, but I thought it was probably you two."

"That's brilliant!" Blaise cried with a wide smile.

"Indeed," Snape agreed. "Fifty points to Slytherin."

"What form did they take?" Remus asked.

"Wolves," Harry replied quietly, feeling rather embarrassed.

"Both of you?" Remus asked, surprised. "You each have a wolf patronus?"

Dumbledore was smiling broadly. "They were quite a sight," he said. "Beautiful animals."

"Hold on," Minerva said, rubbing at her temples. "Albus, am I to understand that you told students to illegally use a time turner to go back and save an escaped convict?" Her tone made the teenagers flinch.

"And a hippogriff," Dumbledore added, looking a bit sheepish. "Sirius is innocent, we couldn't allow the dementors to take his soul."

"They're children!" Minerva snapped. "One of them is my Harry. Have you lost your mind?"

"She's getting a bit shrill," Snape muttered. He quickly headed for the door. Remus followed, herding the five students out with him.

Remus sent the students to their dorms and returned to his own rooms. He was exhausted and his body ached. He opened his door and stepped in, only to gasp in shock.

Sirius was standing next to the couch. He looked nervous and tired.

"How did you get in here?" Remus asked, his voice hoarse.

"Crookshanks," Sirius replied simply. "I hoped you wouldn't mind."

"Of course," Remus said hastily. "Let's- Er, let's get you cleaned up. "Go take a shower. Bathroom is through there. I'll get some food for you."

Sirius followed the command silently. Once he'd left the room, Remus called for Dobby in a shaky voice.

Remus explained the situation to the house elf requested plenty of food. Dobby complied quickly, bringing more than enough food for several people.

"Master Remus will be happy now?" Dobby asked tentatively.

"I- Yes. Why do you ask?" Remus questioned.

"Dobby comes to look after Master Remus and Master Harry Potter at night," the elf explained. "Master Remus calls out for Sirius in his sleep. Every night."

Remus blushed.

"Dobby hasn't worked for you for very long," Dobby went on, giving Remus a knowing look. "But Dobby knows a broken heart when Dobby sees it." Then he disappeared, leaving Remus to dry his eyes in private.

Sirius came out back into the sitting room wearing a shirt and trousers that Remus had set out. His long black hair was damp and still a bit tangled. He sat down and accepted a plate of food from Remus. He didn't hesitate before starting to eat quickly. It had been so long since he'd had a decent meal.

Remus ate a little bit, but mostly he watched Sirius. How much had Azkaban changed him? Twelve years was a horribly long time in such a wretched place.

A knock on the door made Sirius jump and nearly drop his plate. Remus went to the door and opened it cautiously. He sighed in relief when he saw Harry, Draco and Blaise.

"Dobby said you needed me," Harry said.

Remus smiled and allowed the boys to come in. He grinned when they greeted Sirius excitedly.

Feeling a little too full, Sirius set his plate aside. He eagerly looked Harry over, marveling at how much he looked like his father. He frowned when he focused on Harry's robes. "You're... You're a Slytherin?" Sirius asked, looking worried and disappointed.

"Harry and his friends are changing the way people see Slytherin," Remus said quickly, wincing at Harry's hurt expression. "There are a lot of good, caring people in Slytherin. I'm very proud of Harry."

Sirius looked at the other two boys, noting their green and silver ties. He recognized them from the night before. The blond had helped to rescue him. Sirius drew in a deep breath and relaxed a little. "Thank you for getting me out of here last night," he said sincerely, looking between Harry and Draco. He turned to Blaise. "How's that other boy?"

"That's Ron," Blaise said with a nod. "He's sore, but Madam Pomfrey healed the dog bite and mended the fracture. More concerning is the emotional scarring. He's horrified that he's had some bloke sleeping in his bed and the twins never mentioned it while they had that map," he laughed.

Sirius let out a barking laugh. Remus looked ready to weep with joy at the sound. Oh how he'd missed Sirius' laugh.

"I never even thought to look," Harry admitted. Not until that night that I saw Pettigrew on the third floor."

After a little while, Sirius swallowed hard and looked at Harry. "I don't know if anyone told you, but your parents made me your godfather," Sirius said.

"I'd heard," Harry said with a little smile.

"Well, if this all works out, I'll be free," Sirius went on. "If you wanted to a new home..."

"You want me to come live with you?" Harry asked, shocked.

"Well, I am your godfather-"

"I don't want to leave Moony and Minnie," Harry blurted out.

Sirius gave him a startled look and then turned to Remus.

"Moony..." Blaise muttered to himself. "Now I get it." He'd heard Harry call his guardian Moony. It made sense knowing the Remus was a werewolf.

"Minerva realized that the Dursleys were abusive and neglecting Harry," Remus explained. "Just before his sixth birthday, she took him in and called on me to help. He stayed with me while her teaching duties kept her away."

"You and Minerva McGonagall raised Harry?" Sirius asked, completely gobsmacked.

Remus smiled fondly at Harry. "We're not a traditional family," Remus admitted, "but it works for us."

Siriud nodded slowly, his shoulders sagging. Draco looked at him with a frown. "That doesn't mean that there's no room in that family," Draco suggested softly.

"Of course," Remus agreed, turning to smile at Sirius.

"I've missed you," Sirius said, abruptly pulling Remus into a hug. "I've hated myself for so long for doubting you. Never again."

Remus lifted one hand to cradle the back of Sirius' head, feeling his shoulder grow damp from the other man's tears. "It's alright Sirius," Remus murmured. "All is forgiven. Your name will be cleared and everything will be alright."

There was a knock at the door and Draco hurried to answer it. He opened it wider to allow Dumbledore and Minerva to come inside. "I'm happy to inform you that the charges have been dropped," Dumbledore said brightly. "The Ministry is pursuing Peter Pettigrew for his crimes. You are a free man."

Sirius laughed again, lifting his face from Remus' shoulder. He looked a bit like his old self for a moment. He smiled at Minerva. "Decided to sweep Remus off his feet so you could raise a child together?" he asked her.

"Hardly Mr. Black," Minerva snorted. "And I suppose now I'll be dealing with you as well?"

Sirius' smile fell slightly and he shot Harry a hopeful look. "I do have a house," he began. "It'll take some work but... I was hoping that Moony would be willing to stay with me?"

Remus hesitated, looking over at Harry and Minerva. "We can arrange something so that we can all see Harry during the summer," Minerva said reasonably. "During the school year, you don't have to worry about that." She smiled at Remus. "You and I both know that you couldn't continue teaching while your friend is recovering from his ordeal."

"We'll find someone for next year," Dumbledore agreed.

"And I'll be fine," Harry nodded. "We'll be together for holidays."

Remus gathered Harry into a hug. "Thank you Pup," he said softly.

Then Harry hugged Sirius, making Remus, Minerva and Draco tear up. Blaise shook his head at Draco.

HP~HP~HP

Rumors flooded the halls of the school until the Daily Prophet arrived to confirm the stories. Sirius Black was cleared off all charges and Peter Pettigrew was a wanted man. That meant that Sirius was free to stop hiding in Remus' room and go to his own house. But he seemed reluctant to leave.

Solitude was the last thing that Sirius wanted. There was only a few days until the students would be leaving for summer anyway. So, he spent what time he could learning about his godson's friends.

Harry had gathered a strange group of friends. Vince and Greg looked brutish and stupid, but they seemed quite protective of Harry. Hermione and Ron were the Gryffindors of Harry's inner circle, but they didn't seem to mistrust the Slytherins at all. It was a little hard to understand, but the strange dynamic worked for them.

Blaise and Draco were very close to Harry, especially Draco. Actually, Draco showed a level of affection that made Sirius nervous. Sirius was just getting to know Harry- He wasn't ready for that! Plus, Draco was the son of Lucius Malfoy.

"You really should do something about that before you leave here," Draco said, catching Sirius' attention.

"About what?" Sirius asked. While Remus was dealing with paperwork, Harry and his friends were having tea with Sirius.

Draco gave him an impatient look before waving vaguely at Sirius. "You can't go anywhere looking like that," Draco said primly.

"Rude," Ron muttered.

"I'm not being rude-"

"It was a bit rude, Draco," Harry said, giving Draco a little nudge.

"I'm just trying to help," Draco pouted. "Don't you want your godfather to look nice?"

Harry sighed. He was rather helpless against that pouting face.

"What do you suggest?" Sirius asked curiously.

Draco grinned. "Dobby!" he called.

Dobby appeared, eyeing Draco warily. "Dobby doesn't belong to the Malfoys," Dobby reminded the blond.

Draco frowned, turning to Harry for help. Harry gave him a pointed look but said nothing. Draco sighed. "I hoped that you would help me with something," he said politely.

Dobby nodded. "Dobby is happy to help Harry Potter's boyfriend," the elf said.

Harry and Ron choked on their tea. Draco blushed. Hermione and Blaise clapped their hands over their mouths to suppress their laughter. Sirius was having trouble containing his laughter as well.

"Oh, Harry and I aren't..." Draco trailed off, quite embarrassed. "We're best friends."

"Perhaps Dobby misunderstood," Dobby said, though Sirius saw the elf wink at Blaise. "Dobby can wait another year."

Blaise was wheezing into his teacup.

Draco did his best to brush past the awkwardness. "Dobby, now that Sirius is a free man, I thought he should clean himself up a bit," Draco said, wishing that his fair skin didn't make his blushing so obvious. "Could you bring us some of his clothes? They might need to be altered to fit him better."

Dobby nodded and disappeared.

Draco sat back down next to Harry, wanting to hide his face.

"That was bloody awkward," Ron chuckled. The scowl Draco gave him only made him laugh harder.

Luckily, Dobby returned just a moment later with a pile of neatly folded clothes. "Mr. Black should go change now," Dobby instructed shooing Sirius toward the bedroom. "Mr. Black's boyfriend will be back soon."

The students all giggled as Sirius whirled around to face Dobby with wide eyes. To Harry's surprise, a blush spread across Sirius' face.

"Did Dobby make another mistake?" Dobby asked innocently, though he sounded amused.

"Best house elf ever!" Blaise crowed. "Well done Dobby."

When Sirius was done dressing, Draco shoved him into the bathroom to do something with his hair. Sirius allowed himself to be situated on the toilet lid and Draco set about brushing out the long dark hair. "You ought to consider a hair cut, but this will do for now," Draco said, securing the hair at the back of Sirius' head.

Sirius relaxed and let Draco work. It had been a long time since he'd been able to take care of himself. These days he was so tired that he spent most of his time sleeping. Remus didn't seemed to mind, and encouraged the extra rest.

At night, Sirius was plagued by horrific nightmares. It was no surprise after so long in Azkaban. That first night, Remus woke him up and calmed him down. Remus had insisted on Sirius taking the bed and had situated himself on the couch. But after the nightmare, Sirius couldn't stand to be alone and had begged Remus to stay. So, for the last three nights, they'd gone to sleep in each other's arms.

It had seemed a little strange at first, but resting with Remus curled up against his chest had felt wonderful. Sirius couldn't help wondering if Remus would ever consider moving beyond their friendship. The thought had occurred to him a few times when they were in school, but now Sirius couldn't escape the thought. After twelve years in Azkaban, he had no desire to find a woman to warm his bed. His mind was far too busy pondering what it would feel like to kiss Remus.

But could Remus feel something more for Sirius? Until recently, he'd thought Sirius was a murderer.

"Much better," Draco announced, taking a step back. He watched as Sirius looked in the mirror and smiled.

Sirius looked like much more like his old self. His facial hair had been carefully trimmed and a cream applied to his battered skin. Draco had even gotten his teeth to be white again. Sirius still looked too thin, but that was to be expected. Sirius looked young and handsome again.

Sirius returned to the sitting room to find that Remus had returned. Remus gasped softly when he saw Sirius.

"Oh, well done Draco," Hermione said. "He looks so handsome."

Draco grinned. "I just had to wipe the Azkaban off him," he laughed.

Sirius smiled. "Thanks Blondie," he said.

Blaise looked delighted but Draco scowled. "Don't even think about calling me that Blaise," Draco snapped.

"He's like an angry kitten," Sirius said with a mischievous grin.

"Kitten," Ron giggled. "That's even better."

Draco growled. "Let's go to dinner," he grumbled, sweeping out of the room with a huff.

"Oh, he's adorable," Sirius cooed, making the others laugh. Harry hurried to catch up with Draco. The other teens quickly followed.

Remus rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't torment Draco too much," he warned. "He and Harry have been very close since they were children. You'll be seeing a lot of him."

Sirius grinned and followed Remus out.

After dinner, Sirius was relieved to return to Remus' room. The end of year feast has been a little overwhelming. The students were loud and excited. The teachers hadn't much better.

Sirius climbed into bed with a weary sigh. He forced a smile onto his face as Remus joined him. He held his arms out, feeling himself relax further when he was permitted to hold Remus close.

"Are you feeling better?" Remus asked quietly. "I think it was a little too soon."

"I'm alright," Sirius responded.

"Padfoot, I know you better than anyone," Remus chided, breathing in the clean scent of Sirius' skin. "I know when you're overwhelmed. And it's fine. I just want you to feel comfortable."

For a long moment, they were silent. Then Sirius glanced down at where Remus was snuggled against him. "Moony?" he asked quietly.

Remus tipped his head back to look up at Sirius in the glow of the moonlight streaming through the window. His breath caught as Sirius dipped close and pressed their lips together. For a moment, he didn't move. And then Remus was kissing back.

They pulled apart, staring at one another. Sirius brought one hand up to brush his thumb over Remus' lips. "I always wondered what that would be like," Sirius said quietly.

"You did?" Remus asked uncertainly.

"I did," Sirius confirmed. "Didn't want to risk our friendship though. But now I-" He bit his lip, his gray eyes seeming to glow in the moonlight. "I had to try it, at least once. If you're not interested, it's fine. I'm... Well, I've been in prison for years. I'll just be happy to have you around. You and Harry are all I've got."

Remus responded by pulling Sirius into a deeper kiss. Sirius moaned softly and held Remus more tightly, as if he never wanted to let go.

Sirius broke the kiss again. "Does this mean you're interested?"

Remus giggled, feeling rather giddy. It had been years since he'd felt so happy around someone that wasn't Harry. He sighed happily, resting his forehead against Sirius'. "I missed you so much Padfoot," he said softly.

Sirius kissed Remus' nose. "I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere," he said. "And I was being serious before... I do hope that you'll move in with me."

"That offer sounds a little different now," Remus admitted, glad that it was likely too dark for his blush to be seen.

"I suppose it is," Sirius nodded. "We could share a bedroom. Unless you'd like to have your own room. We can see how it goes."

"We're really doing this?" Remus questioned, swallowing around a lump in his throat.

"God I hope so," Sirius pronounced. He paused. "Is this not what you want?"

Remus made a sound that was half laugh, half sob. "Of course it is," he managed to say. "I'm just shocked. I never imagined-" He cut himself off with a quiet, happy sigh. "I'm really happy. We'll need to speak to Harry though."

"Agreed," Sirius nodded, coaxing Remus to roll over and face the other direction. He wrapped himself around Remus, nuzzling the back of the werewolf's neck. "Harry seems like a great kid," he noted.

"He's been amazing," Remus mused with a smile. "He was an adorable little boy and so sweet. I wish you could have seen him back then. He and Draco were so funny. Draco was a snotty, spoilt little thing, and he wanted to be Harry's friend so badly." He paused, remembering watching the two little boys play so carelessly and talk so seriously. "Draco learned to put someone else ahead of himself, and Harry found himself a friend that would never hesitate to run to his side."

"Sounds familiar," Sirius grinned, softly kissing Remus' cheek.

Remus hummed softly at the sweet gesture. "Their friendship has been amazing to watch," he went on. "I've watched Draco become a thoughtful generous person. And Harry... He just seems to make everyone better. That kid has so much love in him. And I'm so proud."

"Part of the reason that Harry is so great is because you became his father," Sirius said. "You and Minerva have done a great job."

"I'm not sure I can accept any credit for that, but thanks," Remus chuckled.

"You're a great dad Remus," Sirius insisted. "That boy loves you so much." There's was a moment of silence and then Sirius spoke again. "Do you think... Maybe I could be like his father too?"

Remus' breath hitched at the question. Sirius sounded vulnerable and anxious. "Padfoot, Harry is going to love you," Remus assured gently.

"I hope so," Sirius responded. "He's all we have of James and Lily. James was like my brother. I'd love to be family to Harry."

"We've got the summer for you to build a relationship with him," Remus reminded him. "It'll be great."

Sirius nodded, hugging Remus closer. They fell asleep feeling more content than either had been in well over a decade.

The next morning, Sirius woke up rested and full of child-like joy. Remus was still sleeping soundly. Grinning in delight, Sirius began kissing all over Remus' face. Remus scrunched his face up at the feel of Sirius facial hair scratching lightly at his skin.

"Wake up," Sirius sang, pressing a warm kiss to Remus' mouth.

"Padfoot," Remud groaned, but a smile was tugging at his lips.

Sirius grinned, rolling Remus onto his back. Sirius shifted to pin Remus under him, dipping his head for a deeper kiss.

"Oh sweet Salazar!"

Remus yelped and Sirius rolled off and looked toward the bedroom door. Blaise was standing in the doorway with his hands clapped over his eyes. Harry and Draco were laughing as they leaned against the door frame.

"We didn't hear you come in," Remus said, his voice much higher than usual, which made Sirius laugh.

"Slytherins don't go stomping about all the time like Gryffindors," Draco said with a smirk.

"Er- Well, we just-" Remus looked horribly embarrassed.

"We'll let you, er- finish," Draco said, grinning and pushing Harry toward the door.

"No!" Remus cried, bolting upright. "We just... I- Oh my god, why are laughing Padfoot?"

That just made Sirius laugh even harder. "Calm down," he chuckled. "Boys, we are fully dressed. We just..." The laugh died in his throat as he met Harry's green eyes.

"You want to be together," Harry said simply.

"With your blessing, Harry," Sirius said quietly. "I certainly don't want to come between you and Remus. I hoped that I could be, you know, part of it." He looked down at his own hands, feeling uncomfortable with his own insecurity.

"Of course Sirius," Harry responded, smiling at his godfather's relieved expression. "I want you both to be happy."

Sirius climbed off the bed and hugged Harry. Harry returned the embrace without hesitation. Remus and Draco shared a smile.

"This is very touching," Blaise said. "But, we should probably have breakfast before we have to get on the train."

Sirius pulled back to cup Harry's face in his hands with a fond smile. "Come on then, Pup," he said. He paused when he saw Harry and Remus exchange grins. "What?"

"Remus calls me Pup too," Harry explained.

"Which is weird considering your animagus form," Blaise added.

"You're an animagus?" Sirius asked, delighted.

"Since he ten," Remus confirmed. "Draco even gave him a name- Orion, for the constellation."

"Brilliant!" Sirius enthused. "What do you become?"

Harry smirked and transformed. Orion stood before them, finally appearing as a full grown cat. Draco had the urge to scoop him up for a cuddle, but restrained himself.

Sirius quickly transformed as well. The big black dog barked excitedly. Orion crouched as if to pounce but turned and sprinted away. Padfoot gave chase. The door to the hall sprang open and the two animals ran out.

"Crap, we're never going to get breakfast," Draco sighed.

"They'll pass out eventually," Blaise said with a dismissive wave.

As they went into the hall, they were startled to see the animals charging back toward them. Orion jumped straight into Draco's arms. Draco caught the cat and cradled him protectively.

In the next instant, Padfoot leapt gleefully at Draco as well. Draco yelped as he was knocked backward. Remus cast a hasty charm to cushion the fall.

"You idiots," Draco laughed. Orion purred and nuzzled his neck. Padfoot, not to be outdone, eagerly licked a very wet stripe from Draco's chin to his hairline. Draco shrieked and shoved the dog away.

Blaise had to sit down on the floor as he laughed just so he wouldn't fall over. Remus was shaking with laughter that rang out through the halls.

Draco sat up, scrubbing at his face and scowling at the stupid dog. His expression softened when he saw how happy Remus looked. Draco kissed Orion's furry head. "Anything for you," he murmured, smiling at Orion's answering meow.

"Alright, let's get moving," Remus said shaking his head.

Sirius and Harry returned to human form and they all walked towards the Great Hall together. Remus smiled to himself as Sirius eagerly chatted to the three Slytherins about the benefits of the Marauders Map.

As Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express later that morning, he heard a voice calling his name. It was Marcus Flint. Harry turned and accepted a firm handshake.

"It's been brilliant coaching you," Marcus said sincerely. "You're one of the best Seekers out there, and the sort of bloke that's nice to be around." He glanced around and stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Not everyone in the snakes den is trustworthy. But if it ever comes to it, I'm on your side, Potter. Remember that."

Harry nodded, accepting another handshake. As Flint walked away, Harry frowned pensively. The years ahead weren't likely to get easier. It was good to know that he had allies.

As if to reinforce this point, Draco hurried over and led Harry toward the compartment he'd selected for them. Blaise, Hermione and Ron were waiting for them. Remus and Sirius joined them, making Harry feel like his heart could burst with happiness.


	19. The Quidditch World Cup

Orion bounded down the stairs and landed on a rug, sending it spinning across the floor. Minerva, Remus and Sirius laughed at the sight. It wasn't often that they saw such unbridled silliness from their young ward.

The summer had become rather eventful for all of them. The house that Sirius owned at Grimmauld Place was old and very run down. Dobby had been horrified by the state of the house.

Kreacher, the house elf for the Black family, was very old and disliked Sirius a great deal. Kreacher had gone a bit mad while spending so much time alone in the house, talking only to himself and to a deranged portrait of Sirius' mother. The house elf didn't bother with cleaning much aside from his dead mistress' frame.

Deciding to start fresh, Sirius sold off the house and a large amount of the items within it. A few things were rescued from Sirius' purge of the house. Those items had been collected by Harry and placed in a trunk.

Sirius and Remus had quickly found a house that they liked and purchased it once Minerva had approved. The new couple had talked her into living with them during the summers so that they could all be together. Minerva's house was maintained to be passed on to Harry later if he wanted it.

The new house was much bigger than Minerva's. There was space for guests and ample room for meetings if the Order of the Phoenix had to begin gathering again. Harry loved his new bedroom and the fact that all three of his guardians would be under the same roof.

The excitement seemed to be too much for Harry. So he unleashed all the energy in his feline form.

"I wish we could bottle that energy," Remus laughed, watching as Orion jumped out from behind the couch with all four legs splayed and scared the wits out of Dobby.

"I'm just glad that he does that here instead of at school," Minerva responded tartly. "He'd never get out of detention."

"Does he get detention a lot?" Sirius asked, bursting into a fit of laughter as Orion made a wild jump for the dining table only slide across the surface and tumble off the other side.

"I think he's only had detention once," Minerva replied. "And that was first year. Harry's shenanigans tend to land him in the hospital wing instead of detention."

Orion seemed to have finally worn himself out. He was finally standing still and allowing Dobby to brush out his fur. "Harry Potter is a naughty kitty," Dobby chided, but he still sounded adoring as he said it.

"Come here Pup," Sirius called.

Orion pranced over and jumped into Sirius' lap, flopping over onto his side. He was panting slightly, his little pink tongue showing. Sirius relaxed into the couch, stroking Orion's fur.

Minerva smiled before returning to her book. Remus kissed the top to Sirius' head and then walked into the kitchen. Sirius and Harry were probably going to sleep for about an hour. Remus planned to have chocolate biscuits ready for when they woke up.

Sirius and Harry had been bonding rather well. Their relationship brought Remus so much joy. Harry had accepted Sirius so willingly. Sirius was still recovering from his time in Azkaban and Harry had been learning ways to calm Sirius' more tortured moments. So far, Orion had the most success in soothing Sirius.

Despite the difficulties of Sirius' recovery, Remus and Sirius were doing well. Before anything else, they were best friends. Their affection for each other grew daily and Remus often worried that he was dreaming. He'd wanted Sirius since their sixth year at Hogwarts. He never thought that he'd actually end up dating Sirius.

The sound of the floo made Remus jump. He bolted into the living room, hoping that their visitor wouldn't wake Harry and Sirius. He shook his head as Ron, Fred and George tumbled out of the fireplace.

"You couldn't wait a moment?" Ron snapped, shoving the twins away and clambering to his feet.

"That didn't go as planned," Fred noted, unperturbed.

"Indeed, it did not," George agreed. He grimaced when he saw Sirius and Orion blinking sleepily on the couch. "And now we've done it. We disturbed their rest."

"It's alright boys," Sirius yawned, stretching his arms over his head before grasping Remus' hand as the werewolf came closer.

"What, may I ask, warranted such a clumsy display?" Minerva asked, setting her book down.

"We're going to the Quidditch World Cup!" Ron blurted out so excitedly that he startled Orion.

The cat's claws dug into Sirius' leg reflexively. Sirius winced and lightly tapped at Orion's front left paw. Orion retracted his claws instantly and jumped off of Sirius' lap to transform.

"I'm so sorry," Harry said sheepishly.

"It's alright," Sirius responded, patting Harry's shoulder. "I expect that sort of response from a cat. No harm done." He gave Ron a pointed look. "Maybe you could try not to scare the cat while it's sitting on my lap."

"Sorry," Ron muttered.

Harry grinned. "So what's this about the World Cup?" Harry asked.

"We have tickets!" Ron exclaimed. "Ireland against Bulgaria!"

"The seats are brilliant," Fred said.

"Dad pulled some strings," George concluded.

"Are you going?" Ron asked, glancing at Harry and then the adults.

Remus and Sirius exchanged a grin. "Well, it's a little early," Remus hedged. "But Harry's birthday is coming up."

"We thought part of your present could be tickets to the World Cup," Sirius said, laughing when Harry launched himself into Sirius' arms for a hug.

The three Weasleys cheered.

HP~HP~HP

Harry had never been able to see the World Cup. In the past, it had been in other countries and deemed too far to go. Harry hadn't minded, but he couldn't deny how thrilled he was to experience it now.

Harry and his three guardians used a portkey to get to their campsite. There were tents set up and there were people milling around, eager for the start of the game.

Remus handled their check in for the campsite and Sirius cheerfully set up their tent with a wave of his wand. The tent looked like a regular muggle tent for four or five people. But, when Harry poked his head inside, it looked very much like a modest house with fabric walls. There was a kitchen and three small bedroom areas. It was even tastefully decorated with vases of flowers and a painting of a lovely sunrise.

"Excited?" Sirius asked when Harry pulled his head back to look around.

"Very," Harry grinned. His eyes scanned the other tents. "Anyone we know around here?"

"I haven't seen any of your friends yet," Sirius replied. He snorted suddenly. "But that tent over there looks promising."

Harry looked around and spotted a tent that was larger than the others. It was a lovely shade of rich purple trimmed with glittering gold. Just in front of the opening were four albino peacocks.

"Um... Why are there peacocks?" Harry asked.

But Sirius was laughing too hard to answer. Minerva walked over to see what was going on, frowning when she spotted the peacocks. "Of all the... We're supposed to be inconspicuous!"

"Oh my god," Sirius giggled, leaning against Harry.

Remus returned to them and shook his head at Sirius. "Honestly."

"Peacocks, Remus," Sirius said, his eyes bright with mirth. "That pompous idiot brought his peacocks."

"We don't know for sure that it's him," Remus argued.

"Yes we do," Sirius retorted, pointing.

Draco had stormed out of the tent, aiming a kick at one of the peacocks as he passed. He was scowling irritably. His scowl faded a bit when he spotted Harry's family.

Draco stopped next to Harry and then looked his friend over. Sirius fought back another fit of giggles as Harry squirmed and blushed under the blond's scrutiny. Remus and and Minerva pretended to be very interested in the neighboring tents.

"I hadn't noticed before because we saw each other all the time at school," Draco said, his own cheeks a bit pink. "You've grown a lot. You're as tall as I am now. But you're..." He paused, his fingertips glancing over Harry's shoulders. "You're more broad," he concluded, lowering his voice in his embarrassment.

Harry's wardrobe had obviously needed to be altered when he returned home for the summer. Remus and Sirius had taken him shopping within the first week. It was amazing how grown up he looked in his new clothes. Clearly Draco appreciated it.

"Your voice is a little different," Harry noted.

"Yours too," Draco said.

"Ah, puberty," Sirius sighed dramatically. He grinned when both boys glared at him. He smiled at them. "Don't worry. You're both still adorable."

"Ignore him," Minerva said, shooing Sirius away with a wave. "How are you Mr. Malfoy?"

"Fine, thank you," Draco said politely, now very conscious of his own voice. He was still getting used to the sound of it. Luckily it hadn't been a huge change. He loved the sound of Harry's voice. It wasn't too deep, but it did have a warm sort of quality.

"You seemed upset when you came over here," Harry said with a frown.

"Oh," Draco responded, casting a glare back toward the purple tent. "Did my father have to bring those stupid peacocks? Everyone knows we're rich, it doesn't need to be paraded like that. As if that tacky, gaudy tent wasn't bad enough, he had to insist on bringing those ridiculous birds."

"Why?" Harry asked, looking amused.

Draco scowled. "This isn't funny," he complained. "It's so embarrassing."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, feeling guilty for being amused. "At least we're camping close to you."

"There you are!" Narcissa cried, interrupting their conversation. "Draco darling, you mustn't run off like that. There's so many people here..." She paused and then smiled at Harry. "Harry dear, so lovely to see you."

"Hello Mrs. Malfoy," Harry said.

"Oh, you're getting so tall and handsome," Narcissa praised affectionately. She looked between Harry and Draco fondly. "My lovely boys."

"Mother," Draco groaned, his face flushing again.

Narcissa winked at Harry and then politely addressed Minerva. "Minerva, it's wonderful to see you," she said.

"And you as well," Minerva replied. Over the years, she'd become less cold with Mrs. Malfoy. She could say that she trusted Narcissa exactly, but she did feel more confident that she wasn't a threat to Harry.

Narcissa smiled hesitantly at Sirius. "You're looking well cousin," she murmured.

Sirius gave a tense nod but didn't speak. He glanced over to see that Remus was pointedly avoiding eye contact with Narcissa.

"Lupin?" she said softly. She glanced around hastily. "Remus," she said more firmly. "You have to believe that I had no idea. Truly, I didn't. I would have gladly spared you some of that suffering if I could."

"Would you?" Remus asked, his tone cold.

"Yes," she responded earnestly. "Remus, I swear that I didn't know about Pettigrew's betrayal. Lucius was shocked as well." She reached out to touch Remus' hand tentatively. "I know this is... difficult and... unorthodox. But... Remus... If I had known, I would have told you."

The distress in her voice was what broke Remus. He supposed that it made sense that Voldemort had secrets even from his own followers. And Narcissa seemed genuinely concerned. "It's alright Narcissa," Remus said softly. "I believe you. And thank you for your concern."

Harry and Draco watched the exchange with wide eyes. They hadn't realized that such a friendship had developed between Remus and Narcissa. Draco had never seen his mother treat anyone as a friend. She only ever showed affection for Lucius and Draco. But Draco could see genuine fondness on her face as she looked at Remus.

While the their boys had been at school, Narcissa and Remus had taken to meeting at the park on occasion. They'd make their way to a nearby muggle cafe and enjoy each other's company. It was an unlikely friendship, but Narcissa enjoyed Remus' calm presence. And Remus found Narcissa to be a clever and engaging conversationalist.

Narcissa glanced between Remus and Sirius and smiled knowingly. There was no mistaking the way Remus leaned into Sirius, with Sirius wrapping his arms around the other man with an expression of devotion. It was further confirmed when Sirius kissed Remus' temple tenderly.

"I'm so glad that you're both happy and safe," Narcissa said sincerely. "What does this mean for Harry?"

"I sold the Black home," Sirius responded. "We bought a new house and all four of us live together. Harry seemed quite keen on the idea."

"I wanted my whole family together," Harry said lightly. "It's like have a mum and two dads. It's pretty great."

Sirius smiled in obvious delight.

"I'm so very happy for you Harry. Where all of you seated for the match?" Narcissa asked, politely turning to Minerva when Sirius began sweetly nuzzling Remus' face.

"Minister Fudge has invited us to join him in the Minister's box," Minerva replied. "He's attempting to make up for Sirius' imprisonment, no doubt."

"Indeed," Narcissa agreed. "We've been invited to the Minister's box as well. A very political move." She shook her head. "Well, we shall endure. We'll have a lovely time."

Minerva wasn't so sure about that, but she gave a slight nod and a tense smile.

"We'll be together," Draco said cheerfully, turning to Harry. It nearly made up for the stupid peacocks strutting around the Malfoy tent.

"Ron and his family will be here too," Harry added. "But they won't be in the Minister's box."

"That's alright," Draco responded with a dismissive wave. "We can go see them."

As the time for the match drew near, the crowd of witches and wizards began to migrate toward the enormous stadium that had been set up with magic. It was warded against muggles to keep everyone safe from discovery.

Cornelius Fudge greeted Harry with exaggerated fondness before turning to Harry's guardians. After much hand shaking and flattery from Fudge, they were introduced to the Bulgarian Minister of Magic who was dressed in black velvet robes that were trimmed in gold. Fudge made an awkward show of introducing them all with miming and talking a little too loudly. When Fudge looked away to greet someone else, the Bulgarian Minister winked at Harry, making Harry grin.

The Malfoys were treated to a similar display when they arrived in the Minister's box. Harry's stomach clenched unpleasantly at the sight of Draco's father. Lucius didn't seem particularly pleased about the other occupants of the Minister's box. But, he made a show of greeting Harry with utmost politeness and acknowledging the adults with a nod.

Draco was exceptionally tense, but he took a seat next to Harry without comment. Narcissa settled into a seat and proceeded to chat with Sirius, Remus and Minerva. Lucius seemed a little baffled, but didn't object to his wife's socializing.

Ludo Bagman, the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, was commentating for the match. He'd been roaming around beforehand taking bets on the outcome. Sirius had wanted to make a bet, but resisted when Remus gave him a quelling look. It was best not to engage in such things in front of teenage boys.

The Bulgarian teams' mascots were Veelas. They looked like very beautiful women with silvery hair and when they started to dance, Harry's mind went blank. Harry had read about them but he hadn't anticipated the way he suddenly wanted to do something to impress them. He was prevented from attempting a backflip when Remus calmly pushed him back into his seat.

"Just take a deep breath," Remus muttered. "Shake it off."

Harry relaxed, glad that he hadn't done anything ridiculous. He glanced at Draco to find that he was looking rather annoyed. Narcissa was removing her hand from his shoulder with a little smile. "I don't like veelas," Draco grumbled with a scowl. The expression softened at a teasing nudge from Harry.

The Bulgarian team flew into the stadium on brooms. Their Seeker, Viktor Krum, was greeted with a loud rumble of fans chanting his name. Harry was supporting Ireland, but he admired Krum's skill as the youngest professional Seeker in the world.

The cheers rose to a deafening roar as the Irish team flew in. Their mascots were Leprechauns that threw gold into the stands to the delight of the spectators.

The game was thrilling. Harry and Draco enjoyed it immensely, cheering along with the crowd. It ended with Krum catching the snitch in a daring move that they heard Bagman call a Wronski Feint. But, catching the Snitch hadn't been enough. Ireland had scored enough points to win despite Krum's impressive catch.

The Bulgarian minister sighed. "Vell, ve fought bravely," he said, sounding a bit dejected.

Fudge whirled around to stare at the other minister. "Why have you let me mime everything when you can speak English?" he demanded irritably.

"It vos very funny," the other minister replied, winking at Harry again. Harry and Draco shook with laughter while Narcissa hid a smile behind her hand.

After the match, Draco joined Harry's family for dinner as his own parents returned to their tent. The Weasley family arrived with Hermione, happy to join for the meal. Arthur had wanted to cook over a campfire, but it hadn't gone well. Bill and Charlie had actually been able to join them for the match, so it made for a very loud but entertaining dinner.

Ron went on and on about Krum. He was a big fan and had been delighted to actually see him play. "It was an amazing catch," he enthused. "Hardly anyone can manage a Wronski Feint."

"We all saw it," Draco drawled, sounding unimpressed. "Give Harry a year or two and he'll be much better than Krum."

Ron looked unsure of how to respond. He wanted to defend Krum, but he obviously wanted to encourage his friend as well. Harry waved away Draco's comment though. "It doesn't matter for now," Harry said calmly. "Krum is really impressive."

"You should practice some of his moves," Ginny suggested, her face going quite red as she addressed Harry. Draco shot her an annoyed look, but nobody else seemed to notice.

After dinner, as everyone got ready to return to their own tents, they heard screaming. Sirius, Remus and Arthur hurried out of the tent to check what was happening and came back looking fearful.

"We've got to get out of here," Arthur said, hastily ushering the teenagers toward the tent opening.

Once outside, they could all see the chaos. A few tents were on fire. There was a group of masked wizards marching along and chanting. Levitated above them was a muggle family; A man, a woman and their two children. The terrified screams made Harry feel sick to his stomach.

"We've got to run," Draco said, horror a creeping into his tone.

"Draco!"

Narcissa was running toward them, her face pale and scared. "Let's go darling," she urged her son. She looked at the others. "You must hurry."

Minerva nodded tersely and began herding the students away. Harry was able to only catch a brief glimpse of Draco's face before he was moved away. Sirius helped to protect the children while Remus, Arthur, Bill and Charlie went back to help sort things out.

HP~HP~HP

"I bet Lucius Malfoy was part of it," Ron said, unable to focus on his game of chess with Fred. "Evil git."

They'd all gathered at the burrow to wait for Remus, Arthur, Bill and Charlie to return. Everyone was tense and worried. There had been a great deal of security at the World Cup. How had something so awful happened?

"Draco must know that his father is involved," Ron went on. "He can tell the Aurors."

"It would be difficult to prove," Minerva said tiredly.

"And it would be awful to expect that poor boy to speak against his father," Molly added, giving Ron a sharp look. "It must be terrible for Draco."

Sirius considered this, noting the sad expression on Harry's face. Sirius was still catching up on the details of Harry's life. He hadn't considered what Draco was likely dealing with. Such devotion to Harry surely came with a price for the son of a Death Eater.

"Dobby!" Sirius called suddenly, surprising the others. Dobby appeared with a pop, looking at Sirius expectantly. "Would you check on Draco Malfoy? Make sure he's alright?"

"Of course Sir," Dobby said before disappearing again.

Harry shot Sirius a look of gratitude, moving to sit next to his godfather. "I know you're worried," Sirius muttered. "Narcissa will keep him safe."

"Physically," Harry responded bitterly. "Draco is miserable with his father."

"I know the feeling," Sirius replied with a sympathetic nod. He hugged Harry closer to his side. "Just be there for him. He just needs his friends."

Dobby appeared a few moments later. "Young Mister Malfoy is upset but not hurt," the house elf announced. "Dobby told him that Harry Potter and friends were safe."

Sirius thanked Dobby and everyone tried their best to distract themselves. A few hours later, Arthur came through the front door with his two oldest sons and Remus close behind. Sirius ran over and gathered Remus close, kissing the werewolf's tired face.

"Thank Merlin," Molly breathed, fussing over Bill and Charlie. "Is everything alright now?"

"It was confirmed as Death Eater activity," Arthur said grimly. "The Dark Mark was left over the campground. Odd thing is, the wand that cast the spell belonged to Barty Crouch. His house elf Winky was found in possession of the wand."

"What?" Minerva asked sharply, her face disbelieving.

"Crouch was beside himself," Arthur went on. "Dismissed the elf immediately."

"But a house elf doing such a thing?" Molly questioned.

"I agree," Arthur sighed. "It doesn't add up. Luckily, the muggle family was rescued and their memories modified."

Harry frowned in thought as Sirius and Remus sat on either side of him. The gesture was soothing and Harry felt himself grow calmer despite his whirling thoughts. Did this display from the Death Eaters have anything to do with Peter Pettigrew's escape? Why target the World Cup? And why had a house elf been found with the wand that had conjured the Dark Mark?

Harry and his family returned to their own home, exhausted. They'd all been awake for long hours. Harry collapsed on his bed as the sun began peeking over the horizon. He fell asleep and dreamed of masked dark wizards and a high, cold laugh.

HP~DM~HP

Harry's bad dreams continued through the rest of the summer. But it was the most recent one that Harry found most disturbing. He'd dreamed of an old muggle listening as Wormtail talked with someone with a high, cold voice about having murdered someone and planning to commit another murder. Harry had little doubt that Wormtail had talking to Voldemort. The dream ended with Voldemort killing the elderly muggle man.

Harry had woken with his scar aching and his stomach churning unpleasantly. It hadn't feel like a normal dream. Despite wanting to completely forget it, he told Remus and Sirius about it the next morning.

"He said he had a faithful servant at Hogwarts," Harry said anxiously.

"Probably Snape," Sirius grumbled into his porridge.

Remus gave him a stern look. "None of that now," he chided. "Severus is Harry's head of house. He's not the friendliest bloke, but he's protected Harry in the past. He brewed the wolfsbane potion for me with very little complaint when I was teaching, and has continued to provide it. I expect a little more effort from you Sirius."

Sirius hunched his shoulders and leaned against Remus with a petulant huff. It made Remus snort and roll his eyes. Turning back to Harry, Remus gave a reassuring smile. "Try not to let it bother you too much," Remus said.

"Even though I heard them talk about killing me?" Harry asked.

Remus sighed, hating to see Harry so worried. "Keep the cloak and map with you," he advised. "Keep your friends close. Minnie will be at the school with you too. I'll talk to Dumbledore about your dream and your concerns. We'll all be on alert."

Harry had far too many close calls for Remus to ever brush off the boy's concerns. Harry had plenty reason to worry and Remus was determined the he, Sirius and Minerva would take it seriously.

"Why don't you spend the day with the day with the Weasleys?" Sirius suggested, abruptly coming out of his sulk. "Ron and the twins will cheer you up. Remus and I will go get your school things. Then maybe tonight we'll go to the cinema."

Harry smiled at this plan, eager to put his anxiety aside. He finished his breakfast and quickly dressed for the day. Once he'd hugged his guardians, he dashed toward the floo cheerfully.

"All alone," Sirius murmured, pressing warm kisses to Remus' neck, his hands roaming over the werewolf's chest.

"Focus Sirius," Remus chuckled, shivering lightly as Sirius nipped at his earlobe. "Our cub comes first."

Sirius sat up straighter and nodded. "Of course," he agreed with a little nod. "Let's floo call Dumbledore and then we'll do the shopping."

Remus grinned. "You know, I happen to find responsible, fatherly Sirius to be rather sexy," he commented.

Sirius smirked. "I'll keep that in mind," he retorted playfully. "Now, lets go get parental with Dumbles." He winked at Remus.

"I can hardly contain my excitement," Remus laughed, blissfully following Sirius to the fireplace.

At the Burrow, Harry had walked in on a bit of a row between Mrs. Weasley and Ron. Embarrassed, he nearly turned around and left again, but the twins pulled him further in.

"Come right in," Fred said cheerfully.

"You're always welcome," George added.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Harry muttered, glancing into the dining room where he could see Mrs. Weasley's face reddened with anger. Ron was scowling at a wad of maroon fabric that had bits of old lace showing. "What's that?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"The school supply list includes dress robes," Fred replied.

"They had to be bought second hand," George added. "Ron's not pleased with the selection."

Harry bit his lip, feeling quite embarrassed. The Weasleys couldn't afford much for their large family. They always got by, but it meant that they bought most things second-hand. And Harry knew that it bothered Ron, even if they'd never discussed it.

"Why do we need dress robes anyway?" Harry asked.

"Nobody will tell us," Fred said, rolling his eyes. "Just don't ask Percy about it."

"You'll get the most boring lecture ever on Ministry policy," George commented.

"What's the Ministry got to do with it?" Harry asked.

"No idea," George replied. "Percy got a job with the Ministry."

"Don't ask Percy about that either," Fred advised seriously.

"Fine," they heard Mrs. Weasley snap. "Go naked then." Fred and George wrinkled their noses at the idea as their mother stomped away.

Ron snatched up his laundry and the old dress robes with a scowl. His cheeks reddened when he looked at Harry. "Sorry about that," he muttered.

"It's alright," Harry responded. "I didn't mean to come at a bad time."

"No," Ron denied quickly. "It's fine. Come on. I've got to finish my packing for school."

Harry followed Ron up the stairs until they finally got to Ron's room. Harry watched as Ron shoved the hated dress robes into his trunk before adding the rest of his laundry.

Harry had just finished telling Ron about his dream when a tiny owl flew through the window. It zoomed all over the room, twittering excitedly. "Pig!" Ron snapped. The owl abruptly landed on the dresser and held its leg out, showing that it was delivering a letter.

Sirius had given Ron the tiny owl at the beginning of summer. The animagus had felt rather badly that Ron's pet rat had turned out to be a murderous dark wizard. Ron had been delighted with his new pet.

"Why are you calling it 'Pig'?" Harry asked.

"Ginny named it Pigwidgeon," Ron explained. "And now he won't go by anything else. So I call him Pig. Stupid Ginny," he added mulishly. He glanced over the letter, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"Who's it from?" Harry asked, feeding Pig half of an owl treat.

"Blaise," Ron responded. "He's been writing to me. He didn't get to go to the World Cup, so he wanted me to tell him about it. We've been writing back and forth about Quidditch strategy. I didn't expect him to respond so quickly," he added.

Harry bit down on a grin. Blaise had little to no interest in Quidditch. He attended matches at school to be supportive, but he'd told Harry in the past that he had no interest in the sport. So, Blaise had either changed his mind, which seemed unlikely knowing Blaise, or he was using it as an excuse to talk to Ron. Keeping the thought to himself, Harry helped Ron to pack his trunk while they discussed the upcoming Hogwarts Quidditch season.


	20. Year Four: Part One

Harry was delighted to be back at Hogwarts. The Welcome Feast was amazing, as usual, and there was the added benefit that Draco seemed extraordinarily relieved to be back at school. Once the meal had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up to inform everyone that the Triwizard Tournament was being held at Hogwarts. It hadn't been held in two centuries because of the death toll, but the Department of Magical Games and Sports had managed to arrange it. Students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons would be arriving in October for the selection of the champions and the Tournament. The news that only students that were at least seventeen would be able to enter had not gone over well. The news that there would be any Quidditch either hadn't been accepted readily either.

In the midst of all the commotion, the doors to the Great Hall slammed open. A man limped into the Hall. He had a scarred face and a large chunk of his nose seemed to be missing. One of his eyes was a bright, unnerving blue and it spun and swiveled in its socket, independent from his other normal looking eye.

Dumbledore introduced the man as Professor Moody, their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry wondered if it was Mad-Eye Moody. Ron confirmed the idea by opening his eyes comically wide and then pointing at Moody with a grimace when Harry looked toward the Gryffindor table.

On the train, Ron had told them that his father had been called in early that morning to help Moody. Moody was ex-Auror that was prone to bouts of paranoia. He'd claimed that there was an intruder in his yard and his bins had attacked the prowler by shooting rubbish all over the yard. In all the chaos, the muggle police had been called.

"Alastor Moody," Blaise muttered, eyeing their new professor. "He looks as mental as Ron described him." Vince and Greg nodded, looking at Moody warily.

"Let's hope he can keep it together long enough to teach us," Draco grumbled.

As they were leaving the Great Hall, Ron hurried over to the Slytherins. "This is going to be a nightmare," he said with a groan.

"We just got here," Blaise chuckled, reaching over and smoothing down a wrinkle in the shoulder of Ron's robes. "What's wrong?"

"Hermione," Ron hissed. "She's just realized that Hogwarts is full of house elves. She refused to eat anything else and she's been muttering about slave labor and pension."

Draco rolled his eyes while Blaise and Harry snorted with laughter. Ron scowled at them. "Sure, it's hilarious for you lot," he hissed irritably. "You're not in the same common room with her. I can practically hear her lecturing me already."

"So when you can't be with us," Blaise said, motioning to himself and the other four Slytherins, "go hang around with Dean, Seamus and Neville. They seem like alright blokes."

Ron nodded, though he still looked rather reluctant to go to Gryffindor tower. He offered a wave before hurrying to follow his house mates. Luckily, Hermione had moved toward Ginny and was already talking animatedly.

"So dramatic," Draco sighed, making his way toward the Slytherin common room, nodding to Adrian Pucey as he went.

"That's rich coming from you," Blaise retorted.

"I'm not- Harry!" Draco cried, noticing that Harry was nearly biting through his lip in an effort to not laugh. "You think I'm dramatic?"

"Of course," Harry replied with a grin. "But it's alright. It's amusing and we love you as you are."

"So much," Blaise agreed with a smirk.

Draco tried to scowl, but he didn't quite manage it with Harry smiling so fondly at him. Damn that charming grin.

As they settled into their dorm, Blaise looked between Harry and Draco curiously. After their little kiss under the mistletoe, Blaise had expected more of a change in their relationship. But, months had gone by and the pair were still "just friends". Sort of. They obviously fancied each other and it was starting to irritate Blaise.

Blaise supposed that the situation was rather complicated. There were those in Slytherin who might oppose such a relationship. And Malfoy Senior wasn't likely to approve of it. That left Draco pining over his best friend and feeling trapped by his father's expectations. None of it was fair.

As Blaise stretched out on his bed to sleep, his mind wandered to his own feelings. He really didn't want to think about it. While his mother wasn't likely to particularly care about who he fancied, his feelings were less likely to be reciprocated. The object of his affections had spent much of the train ride talking about girls. It didn't matter much... Blaise enjoyed his friendship immensely. But, the little flutter of attraction that he'd begun to feel around Ron- It complicated things a bit. It was inconvenient and a little embarrassing.

Draco must never find out.

HP~HP~HP

Their first class with Hagrid wasn't very promising. They were going to be caring for something that Hagrid called Blast-Ended Skrewts. They looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters and smelled rather like rotting fish.

"I'm not touching those," Draco said flatly.

Harry couldn't even find it in himself to encourage Draco's participation. The skrewts were rather repulsive. Right away they found that, as the name hinted, one end of the creature would shoot out sparks and the skrewt would propel forward. The males had stingers and the females had suckers on their bellies, possibly for sucking blood. Worse yet, Hagrid's knowledge of the creatures seemed quite sparse.

Their task for that first class was to feed the Blast-Ended Skrewts. Of course, it was made difficult with the fact that Hagrid had no idea what they ate.

"Why would we want to keep the things alive?" Ron whispered, tossing a frog liver into one of the crates. It landed on top of one of the skrewts with a soft splat.

"But, don't you want a pet that can bite, sting and burn you?" Draco asked sarcastically. He smirked when Harry smothered a giggle behind one hand.

"I'm sure they're useful in some way," Hermione said, though she didn't seem to believe her own words.

"I don't think they even have mouths," Blaise muttered.

"How do they eat then?" Vince asked, peering down at the skrewts with a frown.

The others shrugged helplessly. Hopefully they wouldn't spend too much time on the skrewts and would move on to a creature that was less repugnant.

Potions class went better than Harry had expected. Snape was ridiculously strict and bad tempered, but he seemed to be restraining himself a bit. He no longer insulted and bullied students as he swept between the rows of work tables. This resulted in fewer panicked mistakes from Neville. It wasn't likely that Neville would ever be good with potions, but he seemed less likely to kill all of them in a potions accident.

It was a few days in to the term before the fourth years had a class with Professor Moody. Fred and George had declared him to be a cool teacher with loads of real experience.

Harry sat very still, watching Moody stump across the front of the classroom. The new professor had been informed by Remus of the various creatures that they'd covered the year before. Moody was going to be covering Dark Curses. The idea made Harry a bit nervous.

Moody asked the class about curses that were illegal, and Ron raised his hand and answered with the Imperius curse. To the shock of the class, Moody pulled a large spider out of a jar and cast the curse. The spider was made to do cartwheels and tapdance. Most of the class laughed.

Moody then asked for another example. Neville raised his hand and said "The Cruciatus curse." His voice trembled as he spoke.

Moody peered intently at Neville before grabbing a second spider. "Engorgio," he growled, pointing his want and making the spider grow even bigger. "Crucio!"

The spider's legs curled inward and it rolled over. It twitched and writhed. Moody just kept his wand pointed at the spider, watching as it shuddered and twitched more violently.

"Stop it!" Hermione shrieked. Instead of watching the spider, she was staring at Neville, who was pale and shaking.

Moody lifted the curse and placed the limp spider back into its jar. "Pain," Moody rasped quietly. "You don't need knives or thumbscrews if you can do the Cruciatus Curse. What's another curse?" he asked, looking around at the students.

Hermione raised her hand, though it was shaking. "Avada Kedavra," she said softly when Moody nodded to her.

"The killing curse," Moody said, pulling a third spider out of another jar. He pointed his wand again and shouted "Avada Kedavra!" There was a flash of green light and the spider rolled into it's back, obviously dead.

For a moment, the room was silent with horror.

"Not pleasant at all," Moody said finally. "You can't block it, and there's no countercurse. Only one person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in from of me," he said, both of his eyes settling on Harry.

Harry swallowed hard, remembering the sound of his mother's screams just before her death. He'd dreamed of that flash of green light. For a moment Harry wasn't sure if he was going to vomit or weep. He clenched his hands tightly when he realized that they were shaking.

As Moody began talking in more detail about the curses, Harry felt the warmth of Draco's hand on his right thigh. Harry began taking notes while slipping his other hand under the desk to grasp Draco's hand. The gesture was enough to calm Harry's racing pulse.

Once class dismissed Harry followed his friends into the hallway, glad to escape Moody's presence. Right away, they saw Neville standing alone and starting out a window. They approached the boy cautiously.

"Alright there, Longbottom?" Draco asked quietly.

Neville jumped slightly, looking a bit surprised at being addressed by Draco. "Fine," he responded, his voice sounding a bit high. "Great lesson. What do you think we're having for lunch? I'm starved."

Draco looked at his friends in alarm. Clearly, Neville wasn't okay.

"Neville, what-" Hermione began, but she stopped when they heard the heavy thumping footsteps of their professor.

"Come with me Longbottom," Moody said, his growling voice sounding gentler somehow. "We can have a cup of tea."

Moody looked around at the others. "You all right Potter?" he asked.

"Yes," Harry said, his voice sounding a little hoarse.

Moody nodded. "It seems harsh," he admitted gruffly. "But you've got to know. No point in pretending that it's not out there." He turned back to Neville. "Come on Sonny. I've got some books you might be interested in." Neville shot the others a nervous look before following Moody down the hall.

Draco grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him back into the empty Defense classroom. Their friends followed curiously. To their surprise, Draco yanked Harry into a tight hug.

"I saw your face when he used the killing curse," Draco murmured. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Harry responded quietly, returning the hug before pulling away. "It just... made me remember..."

"Oh, Harry," Hermione whispered, moving closer to hug Harry as well. Ron and Blaise patted Harry's shoulders while Vince and Greg looked on with concerned frowns.

"I'm alright," Harry assured them. "It was unpleasant, but I suppose Moody's right. We do need to know this stuff. I fared better than Neville."

"There's a reason for that," Draco said, glancing at the classroom door. "Longbottom's parents were tortured with the Cruciatus Curse. They went mad. That's why he lives with his grandmother."

"Poor Neville!" Hermione gasped.

"We probably shouldn't repeat that," Draco went on. "He probably wouldn't want everyone to know."

"Of course," Blaise agreed. "Poor bloke."

Classes continued and the teachers piled on the homework. Ron, who had chosen to continue with Divination, amused them all with predicting an assortment of ridiculous and unfortunate events with a star chart. Hermione was the only one who expressed disapproval over him not taking homework seriously.

In addition to classwork, Hermione had been doing a great deal of independent reresearch. Finally, she proudly presented a box to her friends as they all sat in the library. "I've just finished," she announced, looking quite pleased with herself.

Draco and Harry exchanged a way look as Blaise opened the box and pulled out a badge. "Spew?" Blaise questioned, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Ron snorted.

"S.P.E.W." Hermione corrected with a frown. "It stands for Society for the Promotion of Elvish Wellfare."

"Oh," Harry said blankly. "Er- That's interesting." Draco raised his eyebrows in disbelief, but Harry carefully avoided his gaze.

"So, how many members do you have?" Blaise asked politely.

"Well, if all of you join, it'll be seven," Hermione said eagerly. "We can recruit more members. I was thinking two sickles to join. That'll buy a badge. The proceeds can go toward our leaflet campaign. Harry, you're the secretary so you may want to write all this down."

She beamed at them all, obviously excited and pleased with her work.

"No," Draco said firmly, standing up.

Hermione blinked up at him, surprised. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"We've got enough going on without this nonsense," Draco responded. "And it's just rude to inform Harry that he's your secretary without giving him a choice in the matter."

Hermione flushed. "I didn't mean my secretary..." she argued. "It's for our organization. And-"

"This organization is ridiculous," Draco said sharply. "House elves have been serving wizards for centuries."

"That doesn't make it right," Hermine hissed angrily. "Your family was obviously horrible to Dobby. What about your other slaves?"

Draco flinched slightly, obviously stung by this comment. Harry reached up to touch Draco's arm, but Draco shook him off. The blond swiftly gathered his books and stormed out of the library without a word.

Hermione sat back in her chair with an angry huff. The others frowned, looking between the library door and Hermione.

"That comment was a little too far," Blaise chided her quietly.

Hermione looked at Blaise, her expression hurt. "Didn't you hear what he said?" she asked incredulously. "To be so dismissive of slavery..."

"And as a muggleborn, you don't understand the wizarding world as well as you think you do," Blaise said patiently. "I'm not defending enslavement. But it's not that simple. And you should know that Draco is sensitive about his family. He doesn't want to be like his father. Your comment was cruel."

Hermione swiftly snatched up her box of badges and marched away. Ron watched her go with a sigh. "Great, now they're both in a strop," he muttered. "Who do we go to?"

Blaise closed his Transfiguration book tiredly. "We'll give them some time," he said. "Harry should probably be the one to talk to Draco first. He could have been more polite about disagreeing with Hermione. But he was right about Hermione's approach. She can't just go ordering people about like we work for her."

"And her new committee?" Harry asked, rubbing at his temples.

"I think it's got some merit," Blaise admitted. "Seeing Dobby made it clear that elves are often treated poorly. But, they also seem to enjoy the work they do. Have you ever met a Hogwarts elf? Downright cheerful," he said.

Just before dinner, Harry went to the Slytherin dorms. If Draco wasn't there, he was going to grab the Marauders Map to search for him. Fortunately, Draco was in their room, curled up on his side on his bed.

Harry approached the bed and sat down. For a moment neither of them spoke or moved. Then Draco lifted his arm to pull Harry down. Harry obliged and stretched out on the bed, smiling slightly when Draco rested his head on Harry's shoulder.

"Do you think I'm like my father?" Draco asked softly.

"Of course not," Harry responded, rolling onto his side so that they were face to face. "You're a good person Draco. And you freed Dobby. Hermione was just hurt by what you said."

"Hermione doesn't know everything," Draco growled. "She can't just do some research and decide that she knows better than everyone else."

"I think she was just hurt about the way you responded," Harry said calmly. "She worked hard and she was excited about her idea. You could have tried a little harder to be understanding."

Draco frowned, toying with Harry's tie mulishly. "I didn't like her just ordering you around," he grumbled.

Harry smiled. "She's a little bossy," he admitted. "But she means well. Besides, you're always bossy with me."

"That's different," Draco argued.

"How's that?" Harry asked, amused.

Draco finally met Harry's eyes, only to blush and look away. "It's just different with you and I," he murmured, his fingers stilling against Harry's chest. "It always has been."

Harry felt his own cheeks grow warm. He didn't often get time completely alone with Draco. Suddenly, Harry was acutely aware of the fact that they were both laying on Draco's bed. It was completely innocent, but Harry's thoughts were at risk for becoming less innocent.

They'd never really discussed what was between them. It hadn't been necessary. But Harry found himself wondering if their relationship would always be like this. Harry wasn't blind to the attractions of various classmates, male and female. Was Draco attracted to any of them? Draco was very good looking. Other students were bound to notice.

Just acknowledging that there was a special distinction in their relationship made Harry feel nervous and flushed.

Draco frowned at Harry's pensive expression, but he chose not to pry at that moment. "Let's go to dinner," he said lightly.

Harry refocused on Draco's face and smiled. "Sure," he responded. They left the room together, their hands brushing together but neither reaching to grab hold.

HP~HP~HP

Harry was both horrified and intrigued when Professor Moody announced that he was going to place them all under the Imperius curse. Hermione had balked at the idea but remained where she was when Moody said that she could leave if she wished. From a practical standpoint, Harry supposed that it would be good to be familiar with how the curse felt, just in case he encountered it later.

It was amusing but disturbing to see Moody making the students do bizarre things. Dean hopped around the room singing "God Save The Queen". Pansy twirled like a ballerina. Lavendar imitated a squirrel. Seamus danced an Irish jig.

When Harry was called forward, Draco bit his lip anxiously. Professor Moody made Draco very uncomfortable. Watching the man point his wand at Harry made Draco's skin crawl.

Draco watched as the professor cast the curse and a blank, content expression appeared on Harry's face. After a pause, Harry bent his knees as if preparing to jump. But, he didn't jump. Harry held very still. Draco looked to Harry's face and saw that the blankness was gone. Those green eyes were alive and obviously fighting the spell.

Suddenly, Harry made a awkward movement and crashed into the desk. Professor Moody clapped his hands appreciatively. "Did you see that?" he asked the class. "Potter fought and damn near beat it. Let's try that again, Potter. The rest of you, watch closely. Watch his eyes. That's where you see it."

After four more tries, Harry was able to throw off the curse completely. Professor Moody was rather pleased, and made comments like "They'll have trouble controlling you!" Bit of a creepy thing to say.

As they left the classroom, Harry rubbed at one hip carefully. "Should we go see Madam Pomfrey?" Draco asked.

"No, it's just a little sore from slamming into the desk," Harry responded.

"It was really impressive," Blaise said. He frowned as Hermione hurried down the hall, leaving them behind. "You two still not talking?" he asked Draco. Draco shook his head.

"She's not talking to me either," Ron said. "I might have told her that spew is stupid and that house elves like working for us."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "You're just insulting her by calling it spew. It's S.P.E.W., and you know it," he chided.

"It's a stupid name," Ron pointed out. Vince and Greg chortled.

Blaise shook his head. "Completely hopeless," he murmured, fighting a smile. Ron grinned.

HP~HP~HP

Finally, the end of October came around and the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons arrived. The Hogwarts student had all gathered in front of the school to wait when a gigantic horse-drawn carriage flew over the forest and then hit the ground with jarring force. It was pulled by a dozen winged horses that looked to be the size of elephants.

A woman, whose size rivaled Hagrid's, emerged from the carriage. She was followed by twelve boys and girls in their late teens. They looked rather cold in their fancy silk robes. Dumbledore spoke with the woman, Madame Maxine, for a few moments before ushering them into the warmth of the castle.

"That is a big woman," Seamus muttered. Ron and Harry nodded their agreement.

A moment later, there was a low rumbling sound coming from the lake. The students watched in awe as a ship began emerging from the center of the Black Lake. There was a splash as an anchor was thrown into the shallows and a plank was lowered to the bank.

A man with short hair and a goatee approached the castle and greeted Dumbledore heartily. His smile didn't reach his eyes. The students behind him were all boys, wrapped in think cloaks of fur.

"Viktor, come along, into the warmth," the man, Professor Karkaroff said to one of his students. "Dumbledore, you don't mind? Viktor has had a head cold-"

Harry hissed when Ron punched him in the arm. "Harry, that's Viktor Krum!" Ron practically squealed.

"I saw him. Can you stop hitting me?"

"This is brilliant!" Ron went on, ignoring Harry's complaint and still swatting at Harry's arm hysterically. "We'll get to meet him!"

Draco pulled Harry out of Ron's reach and slapped Ron's hands away. Behind them, Seamus, Dean and Neville were cracking up.

When they all got back to the Great Hall, Ron excitedly called out to the Durmstrang students, but it was too late. They'd moved toward the Slytherin table and selected seats there.

Viktor Krum settled himself at the table next to Harry. Blaise nearly laughed when Draco scooted a little closer to Harry and eyed Viktor suspiciously.

Dumbledore said a few words of welcome and then food appeared at the tables. In addition to the usual fare, dishes from Bulgaria and France had been included.

"We saw you play at the World Cup," Harry said to Viktor. "The Wronski Feint was brilliant."

Viktor looked pleased by the compliment and Harry's calmness. "Thank you," Viktor replied in a thick accent. His eyes caught on Harry's distinctive scar. "You are Harry Potter," he noted.

"Er- yeah," Harry responded sheepishly. "These are my friends." He politely introduced Draco, Blaise, Greg and Vince. Draco seemed torn between pleasure at meeting the famous Quidditch player and annoyance that Viktor was sitting and talking with Harry.

Blaise began chatting with Viktor, allowing Draco to relax. The blond hadn't expected the sudden surge of jealousy. It wasn't as if Viktor and Harry had been flirting. And Draco felt confident that he was much better looking than Viktor. He was a little embarrassed about his weirdly territorial reaction. Harry was his best friend, and was allowed to talk to whomever he liked.

Draco blushed when Harry turned to look at him. He waved away Harry's questioning look, but his breath caught when he felt fingers tentatively brushed against his thigh. Draco managed a smile, hoping that he didn't look too dazed. Harry's brief touch had been arousing and the Great Hall was no place for an erection.

Harry returned to his dinner, wondering at Draco's flushed face. Of course, questioning it may only result in mortifying Draco, so Harry held his tongue. Instead, Harry occupied his thoughts with contemplating what it would be like to kiss Draco again. Or how it would feel to touch Draco somewhere other than his hand or leg.

Okay, those thoughts were definitely a bad idea in a room full of people.

As everyone began returning to the dorms, Harry and Draco exchanged shy smiles. Both were very relieved to be feeling calmer and grateful for the extra security of roomy school robes.

HP~DM~HP

The champions for the three schools would be selected by the Goblet of Fire. To the dismay of the twins, Dumbledore drew an age line around it to prevent underage students from entering. This didn't stop the twins from attempting it, which resulted in them sprouted impressive long white beards that could rival Dumbledore's.

Ron chattered on about what it would be like to win the tournament. Ron would have entered if he could. Some of his friends from Gryffindor agreed. His friends from Slytherin did not. Harry, the most daring of the Slytherin group, was content to sit in the background. It was a relief that he could focus on his school work while someone else ran off to do dangerous tasks.

A week later, everyone was gathered in the Great Hall and the Goblet of Fire spat out a name from each school. Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons. Viktor Krum from Durmstrang. Cedric Diggory, a Hufflepuff, from Hogwarts.

The new champions were applauded and Dumbledore motioned for silence. But the flames in the Goblet had brightened again, and another slip of parchment flew out. Dumbledore caught the paper and stared at it in surprise.

"Harry Potter," Dumbledore said, his voice tense.

Draco watched in horror as Harry reluctantly got up and followed the other champions. As he went, other Hogwarts students jeered and called him a cheat. Across the hall, Draco could see Ron's expression turning from shock to anger.

"Did- Harry didn't put his name in, did he?" Blaise asked, his brow furrowed.

"Of course not," Draco answered, clenching his hands together. "He's not old enough. He's not keen on the attention. And, most importantly, he's not stupid. People have died during this tournament."

"So somebody did it for him," Blaise concluded grimly.

Draco made an odd sound in his throat, his expression fearful.

"It's alright," Blaise soothed, gripping Draco's shoulder. "Just stay calm."

Most students began leaving the Great Hall to return to the dorms. Draco, Blaise, Vince, Greg and Hermione remained, waiting for the champions to return with the professors. In the anxiety over Harry's name coming out of the goblet, the disagreement between Hermione and Draco seemed meaningless. The moment the rest of the students had left, she launched herself into Draco's arms for a hug.

"This is so bad," Hermione whimpered. She took in a shuddering breath. "I'm so sorry Draco."

It was a little too much for Draco. His thoughts and emotions were frayed. Something was very wrong and Harry could be killed in a tournament that he wasn't meant to be in. At the moment, Hermione's fear was more than he could take. Tears were not an option, but Draco's eyes were beginning to burn anyway.

Luckily, Blaise noticed Draco's struggle and reached out to gently tug Hermione away. "Just try to stay calm," Blaise said reasonably. "Getting all worked up is just going to make Harry feel worse. We've got to be strong for him. Where's Ron?" he added, looking at Hermione.

"Ron is-" Hermione paused, shifting uncomfortably. "Ron is having a difficult time, I think. I heard him talking to Seamus... He's assuming that Harry found a way to enter and just didn't tell him. I think he's been feeling insignificant. He's the youngest of six boys and that's a lot to live up to. And the Weasleys don't have much money." She sighed regretfully. "I'm pretty sure that he's really jealous and it's not letting him think clearly."

The others nodded, though Draco seemed far less understanding than his friends. In his mind, nothing excused abandoning Harry.

When they professors and champions had finally come back, Madame Maxime and Professor Karkaroff looked angry. The Hogwarts teachers looked tense while Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman from the Ministry looked a bit puzzled.

Harry was pale and looked quite shaken as Dumbledore led him along with an arm around his shoulders. Harry seemed relieved to see his friends. Draco pounced on him immediately, hugging him tightly. Dumbledore smiled slightly and stepped away, moving away with Snape and McGonagall. McGonagall was watching Harry anxiously.

"I swear I didn't," Harry muttered hastily. "You're always with me- You'd have seen."

"It's fine," Draco assured him, one hand petting Harry's messy hair while the other pressed into Harry's back. "I know you didn't put your name in."

"We believe you Harry," Hermione said, squeezing his hand once Draco released him. Blaise, Vince and Greg nodded.

Harry glanced around, frowning. "Where's Ron?" he asked.

Hermione bit her lip. "Ron-" She grimaced. "He'll come around Harry. I think he's really struggling. He's always in somebody's shadow."

"That's no reason to not be here for Harry," Draco snapped heatedly.

"I didn't say it was," Hermione retorted.

"Let's stay calm," Blaise interrupted, though he looked upset himself. "Ron will calm down and realize that Harry didn't do this. There's no point in fighting."

"Sorry," Draco muttered to Hermione. "I'm just worried. This is really dangerous," he added, looking at Harry.

"Then we're going to work together to give him every advantage," Hermione said. "We'll practice spells, talk strategy... Whatever we need to do to get through this."

"Thanks," Harry said softly, feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

"Let's go," Draco said, looping his arm through Harry's. "Vince and Greg? Will you walk Hermione back to the Gryffindor common room?"

Vince and Greg nodded, smiling at Hermione. Hermione pressed a quick kiss to Harry's cheek before leaving with them.

"Come on then," Blaise sighed warily.

Once Blaise was ahead of them, Draco slid his hand down Harry's arm to entwine their fingers. Harry smiled, giving Draco's hand a little squeeze. For the moment, he'd focus on how wonderful it felt to hold Draco's hand. Everything else could wait.

HP~HP~HP

"Come on Ron," Blaise said patiently. "You know that Harry couldn't have put his name in the Goblet."

Blaise had dragged Ron to the library immediately after their classes ended for the day. The red-head had spent the day avoiding Harry completely while other students made snide comments to the boy who lived. Harry was hurt by Ron's attitude and Draco was becoming more and more upset about it as the day went on. Blaise wasn't about to let it continue.

"Don't you get tired of being the sidekick for the great Harry Potter?" Ron asked, his tone bitter.

"I'm no sidekick," Blaise retorted sharply. "And neither are you. We're his friends. His best friends. Harry would be the first person to say that he needs us, and you know that." He was relieved when Ron sighed heavily.

"I guess I just got a little worked up," Ron muttered. "I should have known. It's a stupid thing to get angry about anyway."

"Well then, you should probably talk to Harry," Blaise said. "He's pretty upset. And Draco is unbearable right now. Ah, right on time," he added, seeing their other friends walk into the library. He beckoned them closer when Harry seemed hesitant to come in.

Ron stood up as Harry approached. Harry appeared as if he hadn't slept well, but he was looking at Ron hopefully. "Blimey, Harry- I know it's not your fault," Ron blurted out.

Harry's sudden relieved smile made Ron feel like a right arse. Surely Harry was worried and afraid. And Ron had been a complete tit about the whole thing, running off when one of his friends really needed him.

For a moment, Ron worried that Draco would be a prat about it. But the blond just looked oddly grateful to see Harry's relief.

They all sat down at the table, pulling out books and parchment to begin their homework. Harry sat contentedly between Ron and Draco, some of his anxiety over his predicament melting away.

"So," Ron said suddenly, drawing their attention. "We've got to talk strategy. I say we look into past tournaments. Maybe there are some patterns for how the tasks are chosen."

"That's a good idea," Blaise said with an approving nod. "We also need to make sure Harry knows enough spells. He needs to be ready for anything. I was thinking we could ask a few older students for tutoring."

"And the teachers," Hermione added. "They won't have much time available, but they may be able to show him a few spells."

"If we can figure out the first task, we can better prepare," Draco commented, tapping his finger on Vince's book. Vince grunted in thanks as he spotted the answer to the question he'd been pondering. "For now, we'll just focus on adding to Harry's spellcasting repertoire."

"Sounds easy enough," Harry quipped with a little grin.

"Shut up and do your homework," Draco laughed giving Harry a little shove.


	21. Year Four: Part Two

Harry did a good job of staying focused on his classes while waiting for news of the first task. He was also learning a good number of new spells outside of class. Adrien was a seventh year, and since they weren't playing Quidditch, he was happy to spend extra time helping a fellow Slytherin win the tournament.

Harry was still being mocked and insulted by some of the other students. Especially the Hufflepuffs. According to them, Hogwarts only had one true champion, and it was Cedric. Harry would have backed out if he could but, according to Mr. Crouch, having his name come out of the goblet created a binding magical contract.

Rita Skeeter, a reporter for the Daily Prophet, had come to the school to interview the champions. That had been a fiasco. She'd eagerly latched on to Harry, wanting a private interview, but Dumbledore had stubbornly refused to leave her alone with the youngest champion. Somehow, it hadn't stopped her from focusing most of her article on Harry, mentioning the other champions almost as an afterthought. It had only served to make people every more annoyed with Harry's participation in the tournament. The article itself was completely ridiculous. Skeeter had painted Harry as a rebel, but also a tragic hero. The words "the ghosts of his past" had made Harry snort with derision and promptly toss the newspaper into the fireplace.

The nice part about the situation was that a good number of the Slytherins rallied around their young champion. They occasionally assisted when they saw Harry learning a new spell and scared away students that bothered him in the library. Even Pansy, who had spent the last few years mostly ignoring Harry, sometimes joined their little study group. Of course, she tended to recommend curses that were a little disturbing.

Remus had immediately sent Harry several books on defensive magic. Sirius had sent on a notebook that was full of notes on various charms and hexes that the marauders had created or altered. Some of them were a bit... mature in nature and made Harry blush horribly.

Draco looked down at the notebook with a frown, rolling his eyes at the handwritten notes. "Great," he drawled sarcastically. "Now we can conjure lube. We were desperate for that charm."

Hermione giggled and Pansy snorted.

Draco blushed and his eyes grew wide. He looked up at Harry in mortification. "I didn't mean that we needed-" He sputtered and turned to Hermione. "I wasn't saying- It was a joke."

At that point, everyone was laughing. Draco covered his face with his hands groaning "Oh sweet Salazar. Just kill me now."

Madame Pince, the librarian, rushed over and demanded that they leave. The students swiftly gathered their things and hurried out, stopping just outside the library doors. A few of them were still smothering breathless giggles.

"What do we do now?" Vince asked.

Before the others could respond, they saw Hagrid coming up the hallway. He hurried over, eyeing the cluster of students uncertainly. He relaxed a bit as Harry greeted him warmly.

"Thought you might like to come round for tea," Hagrid said, his smile a bit forced.

Harry stared at him for a moment, wondering why Hagrid was being so shifty. "Alright," Harry agreed cautiously.

"Good," Hagrid said, looking relieved as he took a step back. "And, er- Bring yer cloak. Bit nippy out."

Harry's eyebrows rose on his furrowed brow. "Okay then."

Hagrid offered an awkward wave to the others and gave Harry a pointed look before walking away.

"What a strange man," Pansy said lightly, as if commenting on the weather.

"And he's so subtle," Draco muttered sarcastically. He turned to Harry expectantly. "So what do you think?" he asked.

Harry frowned. "I'm going to assume that he wants me to bring my invisibility cloak," he said quietly, glancing at the others.

"And he clearly wants you to come alone," Draco added with a little huff.

"I'm sure there's a good reason," Harry assured the blond. "You'll be the first to know."

"Dray, I'll keep you company while Harry goes to visit Hagrid," Pansy said, looping her arm through Draco's. She kept the gesture light and friendly, wisely refraining from clinging to him. She was rewarded with a little smile from Draco.

Harry's stomach clenched and a flare of jealousy swept over him. It was absurd, of course. Draco was very popular. He was rich, smart, witty... Obviously plenty of people would want to hang around him. Harry didn't expect Draco to sit alone and wait for his return. And there was nothing to be jealous of. Harry and Draco were best friends, but they had plenty of other friends.

Harry's very reasonable thoughts did little to soothe the little ache he felt in the chest. He couldn't be selfish with Draco's attention. But he suddenly wanted to pull Draco back to their room with their hands clasped together. Draco would smile at him and Harry would be unable to resist kissing him.

"Harry?" Hermione said, breaking through Harry's increasingly sappy fantasy. "We should go to dinner."

"Right," Harry said, shaking himself. "Let's go."

Draco eyed Harry curiously as they all moved toward the Great Hall. But Harry seemed to be relaxing, so Draco didn't pry. His attention was drawn back to Pansy as she chattered on and on about the latest school gossip.

Pansy was still annoying at times, but she was more tolerable. Honestly, Draco enjoyed the gossip and the discussions about fashion. Harry wasn't nearly as eager to talk about fashion trends and hairstyles. It was a pleasant change of pace. Draco had Harry for everything else.

After dinner, Harry left to meet with Hagrid. Draco found himself sitting in the common room with several other Slytherins. Some of them were flipping through books and noting some useful spells. Astoria Greengrass and Pansy were watching as Draco cast a few charms on badges similar to the ones that Hermione had made for S.P.E.W.

"That looks fantastic," Astoria praised, picking up one of the badges. It was round and dark green with "Support Harry Potter" written out in shiny silver letters. She lightly tapped the badge with one finger and it changed, flashing a picture of a lightening bolt, like a cartoonish version of Harry's scar. "Brilliant Draco."

"Thanks," Draco said, admiring his handiwork. "I've been working on these for a little while."

"Harry won't like it," Blaise commented.

"I know," Draco admitted, "but I think having a bit of extra support will be encouraging."

"That's so sweet," Pansy sighed. "I'll wear a Potter badge." She pinned one of the finished badges to her robes and handed one to Astoria. A moment later, a good number of the Slytherins had taken a Potter badge to wear.

Before Draco could feel too pleased with himself, Harry stepped into the common room looking pale and shaken. Draco jumped up from his place on the rug and rushed to Harry.

"What's wrong?" Draco demanded anxiously as Blaise hurried over as well.

"It's dragons," Harry said faintly, trembling with a combination of fear and cold. "I've got to get past a dragon in the first task."

The common room fell silent.

"That's completely mental!" Pansy cried indignantly. Astoria's horrified expression seemed to indicate her agreement with that assessment.

Draco swore under his breath, his hands coming up to rub Harry's upper arms comfortingly. "We'll figure this out Harry," he murmured. "Come on. You need your rest." He guided Harry down the hall to their dorm.

Horror was creeping across Harry's skin, and seeping into him. How was he going to survive against a dragon?

Harry had followed Hagrid into the Forbidden Forest, carefully hidden beneath his invisibility cloak. Hagrid had met up with Madam Maxime and then led her and an invisible Harry through the trees until they'd come across four dragons being handled by ridiculously muscular dragon keepers. One of the dragons was particularly vicious, roaring and spewing flames everywhere.

Harry had stayed long enough to look the dragons over and then made his way back to the castle. Hagrid had been thoroughly distracted with the Beauxbatons headmistress anyway.

Harry was barely aware of Draco and Blaise gently prodding him into changing into bed clothes. His mind was too preoccupied with the memory of the dragons, their massive scaly bodies glinting in the light from the flames that one of them was spitting ferociously.

Harry had been nervous about the tournament already. But now he felt weak with terror. It was all too real now, and Harry couldn't fathom a way to get through it.

"Harry? Harry breathe."

Blaise's voice sounded strangely muffled in Harry's ears. He drew in a gasping, shuddering breath in an attempt to pull himself together. His head throbbed and his chest felt tight.

To see Harry succumb to what appeared to be a panic attack, was heartbreaking. Draco bit back a sob, pulling Harry close. He wrapped one arm around Harry's waist while his other hand cradled the back of Harry's head. "Get Snape," he urged Blaise, his voice strained.

Blaise hurried away while Draco managed shuffle toward Harry's bed. He stretched out on the bed, allowing Harry to curl into him. The front of Draco's shirt was growing damp with Harry's tears, but Draco didn't care.

"We'll do everything we can," Draco murmured softly. "You're so strong Harry. You're amazing, and I know you'll get through this."

Draco went on and on, whispering soft words of praise and encouragement. He wasn't even sure if Harry was aware of it. Harry was still shaking and crying, but he hadn't said a single word. Draco pressed a gentle kiss to Harry's scar, wishing desperately that he could protect him.

Blaise burst back into the room with Snape and McGonagall on his heels. Draco carefully released Harry, his heart fluttering when Harry objected with a quiet whimper.

McGonagall sat down on the bed, pulling Harry up and into her embrace. He sobbed and hugged her tightly. "It's alright Love," she said, smoothing down his hair. She was suddenly very grateful that Harry hadn't outgrown his need for her comfort.

"I don't want to do this," Harry gasped through his tears. "I can't get past a dragon."

"Hush now," McGonagall crooned, kissing the top of his head. "We'll find a way." She didn't bother asking how he knew about the dragons. It didn't matter at the moment. She had planned on telling him herself. This was her Harry. Her son. She didn't give a fig about the tournament rules when it came to the survival of her boy.

Snape held out a vial to Harry wordlessly. Harry took it and drank the potion without question. "We won't let you do this alone," Snape said quietly.

"Mr. Bagman said that we aren't supposed to get help from teachers," Harry responded miserably.

"This is... an unusual case," Snape admitted. "It's clear that someone sought to bring you harm by entering your name in the tournament."

"You believe me," Harry said, hopeful surprise filling his green eyes.

"I do," Snape replied tersely. He gave Harry a hard look. "You are one of mine. I look after my Slytherins." He paused, frowning in thought. "We will simply have to come up with a strategy."

"Thank you," Harry said, suddenly sleepy and content. Whatever potion he'd been given was clearly working.

"Rest now," McGonagall said, guiding Harry to lay back down. She tucked him in and kissed his head, smiling when he immediately drifted off to sleep. She turned to Blaise and Draco. "You're good boys," she murmured. "I'm glad Harry has you. Try to keep him calm and we'll make sure he gets through this."

The two professors left, leaving Blaise and Draco to watch over Harry. "I'd better check on the others," Blaise sighed. "I caused a bit of a panic when I ran out earlier. Pansy and Astoria were having kittens. One of the first years was crying."

Draco nodded absently, preparing himself for bed. Blaise left the room, intent on smoothing over the tension in the common room. None of them needed to know that Harry had gone to pieces. It was nice to know that Harry had genuine support from some of the other Slytherins. If Harry was going to get through this, it was going to take some Slytherin cunning.

HP~HP

"I need to tell Cedric about the dragons," Harry said quietly, spotting Cedric sitting outside with a group of Hufflepuffs.

Draco scowled. "We have to get to herbology," he argued. "And, the way I see it, Diggory is the competition."

"He'll be the only one that doesn't know," Harry objected. "I'm sure Madame Maxime has told Fleur, and I saw Karkaroff near the edge of the forest. You know he had to have told Krum. This way, it'll be fair." He grinned when when Draco rolled his eyes and waved him away impatiently.

Harry approached the older Hufflepuffs, swallowing hard when they eyed him with obvious dislike. "Could I talk to you?" Harry asked, focusing on Cedric.

Cedric obliged, following Harry a few paces away from the others. He hadn't believed Harry about not entering the tournament, but Harry had always seemed nice enough despite his house affiliation. He shot his friends a quelling look when one shouted "Ced's the real champion!"

"Dragons," Harry blurted out. "That's the first task."

Cedric froze, his mouth dropping open. "You're sure?" he asked stiffly.

"I saw them," Harry replied grimly. "The others already know."

Cedric swallowed hard and nodded. "I appreciate the warning," he said. He shot a look over at his friends. "Listen, I've told them to leave you alone. It's just-"

"Don't worry about it," Harry said, suddenly weary. "It doesn't matter." He offered a parting nod and returned to Draco.

Draco was glaring at the Hufflepuffs. "Ungrateful wretches," he growled, tugging Harry toward the greenhouses.

"Forget about it," Harry said. "I shouldn't even be a champion."

Draco frowned but didn't argue. He felt better when they got into Greenhouse Two. The other Slytherins were all wearing the badges that Draco had made. Pansy and Astoria pressed on theirs, flashing the lightning bolt symbol.

"Aren't they great?" Pansy gushed. "Draco worked so hard on them and they're lovely."

"You made badges?" Harry asked, staring at his own name written in silvery letters.

"You need to know that we're behind you," Draco said, giving Harry a little nudge.

"And Slytherin should be proud to have you as our champion," Astoria added.

Harry blushed as he looked at the others. Even Theo Nott was wearing a badge. Having supporters didn't make Harry's task easier, but it did make him feel pleasantly warm.

Once herbology was over, they made their way to Professor Moody's class. There, Harry was even more surprised. Blaise had passed several badges on to Ron and Hermione. Now, most of the fourth year Gryffindors wore the badges as well. Seamus and Dean beamed at him, indicating their badges excitedly.

"Thanks Draco," Harry murmured, taking his seat. Draco sat next to him, reaching under the desk to squeeze Harry's hand.

At the end of class, Moody called Harry to stay behind. His friends left with an assurance that they're meet him in the library. Harry squirmed a bit under Moody's intent gaze.

"What are you going to do about your dragon?" Moody asked.

Harry blinked. "I- Well, I don't know yet," he stammered.

"The key is to play to your strengths," Moody said, his gaze never wavering from Harry's face. "What are your strengths? What are you good at?"

"I don't know," Harry muttered. "I don't have much in the way of talent. I'm a fair flyer," he admitted.

"Better than fair the way I hear it," Moody commented with a twisted little smile.

"But I can't take a broom in with me," Harry argued.

"Right," Moody agreed. "You'll only have your wand. So you use your wand to get what you need."

Harry nodded slowly, biting his lip as thoughts tumbled in his mind. "Thank you," he said hastily, eager to speak with his friends. He bolted from the room when Moody waved him off.

In the library, his friends latched onto that glimmer of hope. "You need to learn a summoning charm," Hermione said, flipping through their charms textbook eagerly. "We can help you learn it."

"We need more than that," Draco insisted. "He can summon his Firebolt, but it won't matter if that dragon gets him before he can get away."

"We need back up plans," Ron agreed. "We need a strategy to cover as many scenarios as possible."

Harry diligently practiced his summoning charms while his friends researched. There wasn't much time to prepare but he was determined.

And then the research paid off in an unexpected way. Two days before the task, Draco eagerly pulled Harry along to Professor Snape's office. "I've checked with Snape..." Draco said breathlessly. "You're not going to believe this." He beamed and pushed Harry into a chair in front of Snape's desk.

Harry glanced between Draco and Snape curiously. "What's this about?" he asked. To his disbelief, Snape smiled very slightly.

"I have a spell to teach you," Snape drawled. "Let's begin."

HP~HP

Draco sat in the stands, his hands clenched together in his lap. Sirius was sitting next to him holding Remus' hand. They'd come to watch the tournament and had gladly accepted seats next to Draco and his friends.

"This is horrible," Draco said miserably.

Sirius nodded, his entire body tense. It was going to very difficult to watch Harry face a dragon.

Hermione hurried over, nudging people aside to get to her friends. She squeezed into the open space between Ron and Remus. She leaned forward to catch Draco's eye. "Harry's alright," she said loudly over the chatter of the crowd. "Calmer than I expected."

Draco barely paid attention as the other champions faced their dragons. They had survived, and that was all he needed to know. He was horrified when he realized that Harry would be facing the most vicious of the dragons, the Hungarian Horntail. That complicated matters.

The great beast was brought out and situated on the rocks to guard a clutch of eggs. Nestled with the dragon eggs, was a golden egg. Harry would have to retrieve the golden egg. The dragon was chained, but that didn't bring Draco much comfort. An angry mother dragon wasn't going to let chains restrain her for long.

Harry stepped out of the tent and into the prepared arena. Draco could hardly breathe as he watched Harry duck behind a large boulder swiftly. Harry flicked his wand, but otherwise remained oddly still. A few tense moments later, the Firebolt zoomed from the castle and straight into Harry's hands.

The dragon growled and crouched over its eggs, but Harry still didn't mount his broom. Draco leaned forward eagerly, peering through a set of binoculars in time to see Harry point his wand at his throat and mutter a spell.

In the next moment, the sound of strange hissing filled the arena. The chatter of the spectators abruptly fell silent before the murmuring began.

"He's speaking parseltongue!" someone said excitedly.

"That's... unnerving."

"It sounds so creepy."

Draco smiled, watching as the dragon stopped growling and cocked its head slightly. According to his research, Harry would likely be able to make the dragon understand him, even though he wouldn't be able to understand the dragon. It was thought that, as a reptile, the dragon may be able to recognize and understand snake language.

The dragon let out another low growl, though it was a bit quieter than her previous sounds. The hissing resumed and Draco desperately wished that he could understand what Harry was saying.

While everyone looked on, Harry slowly stepped around the boulder to face the dragon. He hissed out more syllables in his strange language, careful to keep his wand down at his side with his other hand raised.

The dragon eyed Harry, growling again. And then it lowered its head to nudge at the golden egg.

The arena went quiet.

Harry's pulse thundered in his ears. He stared in awe as the golden egg was dislodged from the pile and sent tumbling down the rocks. Harry lurched forward to grab it but froze when the dragon roared.

"Mercy!" Harry hissed out desperately. "I wanted to retrieve my prize. I'll come no closer." The dragon peered at him, still growling. She remained where she was, her bright amber eyes staring at him unblinkingly.

Harry dropped into a reverent bow and then slowly picked up the egg. He was dangerously close to hyperventilating as he walked away from the dragon and back to the tent.

Cheers erupted and Draco thought that his heart would burst would happiness. Harry hadn't even needed the broom.

It took a few moments for the judges to discuss, but Harry was awarded first place. He'd managed to get the egg quicker than anyone else. Viktor took second place, Cedric took third, leaving Fleur in fourth.

Harry stepped out of the tent and immediately saw Draco talking to Remus, Sirius and McGonagall. He rushed into Remus' open arms, relief flooding through him. After a moment, he hugged Sirius tightly and then McGonagall.

"You were brilliant!" Remus praised.

"It was Draco's idea," Harry said, turning to beam at the blond.

Draco smiled. "You were so brave," he said. "I'm really proud of you."

"Too bad you didn't get to fly," Sirius mused. "That would have been great."

"It might have looked more impressive," Harry admitted, "but it probably would have made her angry."

"What were you saying to it?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Told her my name," Harry replied, frowning slightly as he recalled the event. "I told her that I meant no harm to her or her eggs. I said that the golden egg wasn't hers and that I needed it. The sooner I got the egg, the sooner she could go home with her eggs."

"That's it?" Ron asked incredulously.

"That's it," Harry replied with a little shrug.

Ron sighed and then grinned. "Did you wee a little bit?" he asked, making Blaise and Sirius snort.

"Nearly," Harry laughed.

Viktor approached the group, peering at everyone before looking at Harry. "That vos very impressive Potter," he said, his voice a low rumble.

"Thanks," Harry said. "Same to you." He glanced at his family and friends with a smile. Harry introduced Sirius and Remus and then Ron and Hermione. Ron was comically wide eyed when finally introduced to his favorite Quidditch player.

Remus and Sirius remained at Hogwarts for a few extra hours, delighted to spend extra time with Harry. They spent most of that time sitting together at the edge of the Black Lake. At dinner time, they each embraced Harry warmly, knowing that they had to leave.

"We're so proud, Pup," Remus said. "Just keep up the good work and be careful."

"Keep in touch," Sirius added. "We want to know everything. We'll come back for the next task."

Harry reluctantly returning to the castle, smiling a little sadly when he found Draco coming out to meet him. "You'll see them again soon," Draco said lightly. As they headed toward the Great Hall, he gave Harry's hand a little squeeze.

HP~HP

"Stupid Rita Skeeter," Draco grumbled, shoving the Daily Prophet away and reaching for his cup of tea.

"What now?" Blaise asked, setting his toast aside.

"Her coverage of the tournament," Draco explained, pushing the plate of eggs closer to Harry. "She wrote an article about a love triangle between Harry, Hermione and Viktor Krum."

Harry groaned. "She came into the tent when Hermione came to see me," he explained. "Her photographer got a picture," he added, nodding to the photo of himself and Hermione hugging. "Krum told her off for bothering us."

"Hag," Draco sneered. "To make matters worse, she said very little about the other competitors. She mostly wrote about Harry speaking parseltongue."

"As if the Hufflepuffs need something more to get their knickers in a twist over," Blaise said, rolling his eyes.

Harry sighed. He really didn't need more reasons for the Hufflepuffs to dislike him.

HP~HP

Harry looked around to see if any of his housemates knew why they were all gathered in a seldom used classroom in the dungeons. They all looked as baffled as he did.

Snape swept into the room wearing a sour expression. "In accordance with tradition," he said, "we will be participating in the Yule ball. This is, regrettably, a dance." He paused while the students began muttering excitedly. When they'd settled he went on. "Professor McGonagall is instructing her Gryffindors on waltzing. Luckily, a few of you aren't completely hopeless and will be able to assist in instructing the others.

As music began to play, Harry began to feel rather nervous. This was one thing that Remus hadn't really taught him. There hadn't been a need for it. And now, he was going to need to learn in a large group setting.

"Don't look so worried," Draco chuckled. He held his hand out, his smile suddenly turning a bit shy. "I can teach you."

Despite the embarrassment, Harry enjoyed dancing with Draco. He was graceful and wonderfully patient with Harry's clumsy movements. Harry's fingers flexed lightly against Draco's waist while his other hand clasped Draco's gently. Draco's free hand rested against Harry's shoulder. They were face to face and Harry was gazing into Draco's lovely gray eyes.

"See? Not so bad," Draco said softly. "Your dancing isn't nearly as terrible as I feared."

"I'm not sure if that's actually a compliment," Harry chuckled, glancing around at the other pairs of dancers. At least they looked as awkward as he felt.

Draco's heart was racing and he felt a little lightheaded. He wouldn't say that he'd been oblivious, but he clearly hadn't fully understood what he felt for Harry. There was now no denying it. Draco had always shied away from thinking to hard on it. He was expected to uphold tradition. He would have to marry a pureblood witch and continue the bloodline. But in the flickering lights of the dungeon classroom, with Harry gently holding him close and slowly twirling them around the room, Draco accepted what he really wanted. Draco wanted to be with Harry. While their friends had started showing interest in various school mates, Draco only ever wanted Harry. He had no interest in dating anyone else. This wasn't just a crush to Draco. His heart was full and aching with the desire to push beyond the boundary of their friendship.

But that wasn't possible. Draco's father would be furious. He didn't want to think of the consequences of angering his father that way. He had no doubt that Lucius would find a way to keep them apart.

"You alright?" Harry asked.

"Fine," Draco responded, straightening his posture a bit. "Try a spin here... Needs work, but not bad."

Later, they met in the library to study with their friends. Fred and George had joined them to gleefully remark that Ron had been made to dance with McGonagall. Ron's face burned bright red as he did his best to ignore his brothers.

"So, now we've got to get dates for the ball," Ron said, eager to change the subject. "Do you lot have anyone in mind?"

Harry shrugged awkwardly and Draco didn't look up from his book. "You?" Harry asked.

"Don't know," Ron responded miserably. "It's gonna be bloody awkward asking someone though. All the girls are always standing in groups and giggling. Except for Hermione," he added, not noticing when she scowled at him. "Harry mate, you could go with whoever you like. I overheard some girls talking about you. One of them was Cho Chang. She's not bad looking. And some of those Slytherin girls would probably like to go with you. You're first place in the tournament!"

"Astoria thinks Harry's fit," Blaise confirmed with a smirk. Harry blushed. "And I heard Pansy, Milicent and Tracy going on and on about how bloody gorgeous Draco is." He laughed when Draco blushed as well.

"And there's Ginny," Ron added helpfully. "I'm sure she'd go with you Harry."

"Oh Merlin," Harry groaned. "I get it, alright? I'll think it over."

The ball would be there before they knew it, but Harry was torn. How was he going to ask someone to go to the ball? The person he wanted was off limits, and was probably going to ask stupid Pansy Parkinson to be his date.


	22. Year Four: Part Three

Draco was growing more agitated with every day that passed. He'd endured the flirting of several girls and had to stand by and watch girls make cow eyes at Harry. Luckily, Cho Chang had agreed to go to the ball with Cedric, so she was no longer a concern. But, that still left Ginny Weasley, Astoria, Parvati Patil... Draco wanted to hex them all. The fact that Harry was hesitating in deciding who to ask did little to soothe Draco.

He grumbled and sulked, though he vehemently denied it. Draco remained at Harry's side as much as ever, but it was a torment to watch girls trying to get his attention.

It was Professor Snape that finally intervened. He asked Harry to stay behind after class, dismissing the other students with a pointed glare.

For a moment, Snape remained silent, still debating on the wisdom of taking this step. He had plenty to do without needing to involve himself in the personal lives of his students. However, Harry and Draco were both unhappy, Draco being rather more obvious about it. It was probably for the best to remedy the situation. Couldn't have Draco hexing everyone in a fit of pique.

"Have you selected a... partner for the ball?" Snape asked finally, sneering a bit.

"I- Well, no," Harry replied, surprised. This wasn't a discussion that he'd ever expected to have with the surly potions master.

"And why have you not asked Malfoy?" Snape asked bluntly.

Harry's mouth dropped open in shock. "Sir?" he blurted out, his voice coming out higher than usual.

"I believe my question was perfectly clear," Snape drawled impatiently. "The two of you have been inseparable for years. And now he's pouting," Snape added with a roll of his eyes.

"But his father- I don't want to get him into trouble," Harry said, looking away. "I sort of assumed that it wasn't an option."

"This can be manipulated to your benefit," Snape replied, folding his arms over his chest. "Lucius can appreciate a beneficial alliance. And this isn't a marriage contract. As far as anyone else will know, you are going to the ball with your friend. A lot of people do that. It's perfectly reasonable."

"Even if it's a bloke?" Harry asked quietly, dropping his eyes to the floor.

"Even so." Snape pursed his lips. "You should speak with Minerva and think on what I've said."

Harry nodded, turning to leave. He paused and glanced back at Snape. "Why would you help me with this?"

Snape smirked. "You've seen what Draco's like when he gets in a strop. Nobody wants that."

Somehow the answer didn't seem entirely honest to Harry. But, he accepted it without complaint. He made his way through the castle to Minerva's office, his stomach churning.

Minerva was pleased to see Harry at her office door, but also concerned. She welcomed him inside and promptly served him tea and biscuits. "What's the matter?" she asked him calmly.

Harry sighed. "It's about the ball," he began hesitantly.

"Alright," she nodded.

"I- Well, I just talked to Professor Snape," Harry babbled. "And he said... I mean... It's a little complicated... I-" Harry raked his hands though his hair, feeling ridiculously nervous. "I want to ask Draco to go with me."

Minerva merely looked back at him.

"As my date," Harry clarified.

"And?"

"And-" Harry paused, meeting her gaze. "That's it?"

Minerva smiled. "I'm surprised that you've held out this long," she said. "Just ask him Harry."

"It's alright?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"I spent the summer sharing a home with a werewolf and an ex-convict that couldn't keep their hands to themselves," she retorted dryly.

"Not just that," Harry responded. "I mean the fact that it's Draco. His father... Their family alliances..."

"Of course I worry," Minerva said lightly. "But Draco's loyalty is to you. Right now, that is what matters. And I certainly don't see a benefit in coming between the two of you. I want you to be happy and, honestly, you seem happiest with him." She peered at him over the top of her spectacles. "I expect proper behavior from you both, obviously."

Harry got up and went over to hug her, not even caring that her last comment had made him blush. "Thanks Minnie," he said softly.

"Go ask him," Minerva encouraged, kissing his forehead. "I sense a bit of a tantrum brewing if you don't."

Harry grinned and hurried out.

Minerva returned to grading papers with a little smile on her face. She'd have to speak with Severus later. There was no doubt that he'd blamed his interference on a desire to avoid Malfoy theatrics. But, Severus was adept at ignoring the pouting of students. Maybe Severus just didn't dislike Harry as much as he claimed.

Draco had returned to the dorm room with Blaise, Vince and Greg. He didn't feel like studying and he wasn't sure when Harry would be back. Draco was angry and he knew he was making his friends antsy with all his pacing, but he couldn't help himself.

He'd overheard a group of girls giggling in the hallway. One of them was going to ask Harry to the ball after dinner. He wasn't sure which of the girls it was, but they'd all been reasonably attractive.

Draco couldn't take this. He'd rather skip the ball entirely than see Harry there with someone else.

Harry stepped into the room and frowned at the sight of Draco pacing and their friends watching the blond apprehensively. Biting his lip, Harry closed the door. "Hey Draco-"

"Unless your next words are a request for me to go to the ball with you, you can leave," Draco snarled.

Harry's month fell open in shock. Vince and Greg gasped. Blaise made a strange gurgling sound. "Draco, it's his room too," Blaise managed to say.

"I don't care," Draco snapped. Then he turned to Harry, his expression pained. "I tried. Alright? I know we haven't talked about this, and it's not exactly fair to you. But I can't-" He swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. "I can't watch you take someone else to the ball. I know it makes me a terrible friend, and I'm sorry." He sat down on his bed, his hands trembling and his eyes burning.

Harry forced himself to move, approaching the bed and sitting down. He reached over and took Draco's hand in his own. "Draco, will you go to the ball with me?" he asked quietly.

For a moment, Draco was very still. Then he jerked his hand away. "I don't want a pity date," he growled.

Blaise snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Are you mental?" Harry cried incredulously. "That's what you think? That I'd ask out of pity?" Draco folded his arms petulantly, lips pulled into a pout that Harry found rather adorable. He leaned closed and pressed a gentle kiss on Draco's cheek. "You're the only person that I wanted to take. I was just afraid of you getting into trouble with your father."

Draco looked away sadly. "So, we can't go together, no matter how badly I want to," he said softly.

Harry smiled, shaking his head fondly. "We can," he argued. "People can go to the dance as friends. We're best friends. And if it comes to it, you can let your father think that you're using me for... power or something."

Draco rolled his eyes and then bit his lip with a shy smile. "I'd love to go to the ball with you," he said sweetly.

"Thank Merlin for that," Blaise blurted out before Harry could respond. Draco shot him a dirty look which was ignored. "So, if people ask directly, we'll say that you two decided to just go together as friends. Easy."

Draco relaxed, smiling happily when Harry reached over to hold his hand again. Outside their dorm, they were best friends. But in the sanctuary of their room, their affection for each other was finally acknowledged. And Draco was determined to never let anything get in the way of it.

As they walked through the common room to head to dinner, Pansy approached. "Draco, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the ball with me," she asked, biting her lip hopefully.

"Sorry," Draco murmured, looking embarrassed. "Harry and I are going together," he said, glancing at Harry. "As friends."

"Oh," Pansy muttered, a bit disappointed. "Well, that makes sense. Less pressure that way."

"Exactly," Harry agreed.

Pansy nodded. "It's fine. I'll find someone. Maybe save me a dance? All of you?" she added, glancing at Blaise, Vince and Greg to include them.

"Sure Pans," Draco said with a smile. The others nodded their agreement.

"In fact, let us escort you to dinner," Harry said, stepping up beside Pansy while Draco moved to the other side. They looped their arms through hers while she giggled and allowed them to lead her away.

It was while they were having dinner that Pansy began to question the arrangement. Harry and Draco were going to the ball as friends... But Draco was looking at the youngest champion as if he'd hung the moon. And Harry catered to Draco in a way that Patsy thought was incredibly sweet. When Harry absently prepared Draco's tea while Draco meticulously buttered a roll, Pansy looked over to see that Blaise was watching them with an expression of fond exasperation.

As people began leaving, Pansy glanced around before leaning toward Draco. "You know, if you want people to believe that you're just friends, you'll have to stop staring at Potter like he's a walking wet dream," she said lightly, as if discussing the weather.

Draco and Harry sputtered while Blaise went into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. "And you're no better," Pansy went on, looking at Harry. "You're both completely ridiculous."

"I- We-" Draco's panicked thoughts weren't helping him in completing sentences at that moment.

"Just be honest," Pansy said, looking expectant. "Is this really a 'just friends' thing?" Neither of the boys spoke, but the glance they shared told her everything. "That's risky Draco," she said quietly.

"That's why we've got to really sell it," Blaise cut in. "They're friends, and it's no big deal."

Pansy nodded slowly. "Alright. I'm in. I hope you know what you're doing."

Draco was a nervous wreck, but he tried to act natural. If they wanted others to think that the relationship was platonic, they'd have to act as if their date to the Yule ball was insignificant. Which was a little difficult because Draco was beyond delighted.

Ron and Hermione met them outside the Great Hall. Hermione noticed the odd tension immediately. "What's going on?" she asked, when she was sure they wouldn't be overheard.

Harry blushed. "I asked Draco to go to the ball with me," he said with a tiny grin.

"And I accepted," Draco added, eyes bright with happiness.

"Wait- You two?" Ron asked. "Really?"

"You're surprised?" Blaise asked incredulously.

Ron thought about that for a moment, looking between Harry and Draco. Then he shook his head. "Really should have expected this," he muttered to Blaise.

"That's wonderful," Hermione said sincerely. "I was hoping you'd go together. You'll have a lovely time."

"What about you?" Blaise asked her. "We need to get you a date."

"I- I've got a date," Hermione admitted, her cheeks flushing.

"What?" Ron asked, surprised. "With who?"

"I'm not telling," she said stubbornly. "You'll find out at the ball.

"My, my," Blaise teased her. "This should be interesting. How about you Ron? You've got to ask someone soon."

It was Ron's turn to blush. "I have a date as well," he murmured. "I'm not telling you who it is. You'll just have to wait."

Blaise ignored a sudden flare of jealousy and hitched on a smile. "Just me, Vince and Greg left then," he said.

Vince and Greg looked uncomfortable. "Well we thought..." Vince glanced at Greg uncertainly. "If Harry and Draco are going as friends, maybe we could to."

Hermione offered an encouraging smile. "That's a lovely idea," she assured them. "It's going to be fun. And Blaise, you'll have an easy time finding a date if you'll just ask. You're very handsome, you know."

"Oh, don't worry about me," Blaise said with a dismissive wave. "I'll have a date by tomorrow." He felt certain that Pansy would agree to go with him. He had no intention of chatting up someone that he had no interest in.

HP~HP~HP

Christmas morning dawned bright and clear. Harry woke from his slumber when he was jostled on the bed. His eyes snapped open when his duvet was lifted, letting cool air under the warm blankets.

Draco crawled into Harry's bed and tucked himself in at Harry's side. He hummed in pleasure at the warmth Harry provided. Then he yelped when Blaise climbed under the covers as well.

"So cold," Blaise grumbled with a shiver. He wiggled further in, squashing Draco against Harry.

"Why are you in my bed?" Harry asked, looking down at Draco's sleep tousled hair.

"You're so warm," Draco responded, happily nuzzling into Harry's shoulder. He giggled when Blaise squashed him even closer and Harry whined in protest.

"Wait for us!"

Draco squealed and then burst into a fit of laughter as Vince and Greg flopped down on top of them. Harry wiggled a bit, but then gave up in favor of laughing as Blaise wriggled and struggled to free himself. Vince and Greg cackled in delight, making themselves comfortable across the three other boys.

"I guess we'll open presents later," Harry said with a grin.

That got Vince and Greg to roll back off the bed clumsily. They all got up and quickly dressed warmly before sitting on their beds to open their presents.

After breakfast, they spent a few hours with their other friends. The Weasley twins coaxed them outside and they all spent some time having a snowball fight. Before long, a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had joined in. In the end, Viktor also jumped in, bringing another boy from Durmstrang with him. It was the first time that most of the Hogwarts students had heard Viktor laugh.

Eventually, they all went back inside to warm back up. They all needed to prepare for the ball anyway.

Harry nervously dressed in his new dress robes and struggled to make his hair look less ridiculous. Blaise took pity on him and pulled him aside to carefully coax Harry's hair into looking artfully tousled. Draco may have found it endearing usually, but he likely wouldn't appreciate the "savaged by a badger" look for the ball. Blaise had used a number of spells and products, but the end result looked rather good. Harry just hoped that Draco would like it.

Draco was on the other side of the room getting himself ready. He was carefully avoiding looking directly at Harry. He preferred to see Harry when they were both ready.

Blaise just sighed in exasperation at the pair. They were both obviously very excited to see one another all dressed up. It was actually rather endearing to see Harry's somewhat loopy grin.

They had just finished when Pansy knocked on the door and poked her head in. "Any naked boys in here?" she asked.

"No," Blaise laughed. Vince and Greg chuckled.

Pansy stepped into the room with a grin. She was wearing a lovely dark green dress made of chiffon. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant chignon. She'd lined her dark, expressive eyes with silver and her lips were pouty and pink.

"You look amazing," Blaise said.

"As do you," Pansy replied with a smile. "All of you look so handsome," she praised, eyeing the four Slytherin boys approvingly.

"Alright, I'm ready," Draco said, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He turned around slowly to face Harry. Draco's dress robes were very high quality and they fit him perfectly. He felt gorgeous in them. But, he wanted Harry's approval more than anything.

Harry looked striking in dress robes. His robes lacked some of the fancy silver stitching that Draco's had. But the simpler style suited Harry. Draco thought he looked strong and regal.

"You look beautiful," Harry murmured. He blushed in mortification when he realized that he's said it out loud.

Draco's smile was brilliant. He strode across the room and straight into Harry's arms. The embrace was rather brief but it was enough. "You're so handsome Harry," Draco said softly.

"That's adorable," Pansy cooed. "Now, pull it together so we can go," she added impatiently.

Draco let out a shaky little laugh, shifting to looping his arm through Harry's, his hand curling lightly against Harry bicep. Harry flashed a happy grin before leading the way out.

When they got to the Great Hall, they were met by McGonagall. She gave Draco a tiny nod of approval, making him smile and blush. "Harry, you and Draco are to go over there," she instructed, indicating another door. "You are opening the ball with the other champions."

Harry waved to his friends and let Draco toward the door. "I was hoping to see Ron and Hermione, but that'll have to wait," he said.

They stepped into the room and looked around. The other champions were already there. And then Harry's eyes widened.

"Ron, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, bewildered.

Draco smothered a giggle against Harry's shoulder.

Ron was wearing black dress robes and standing next to Viktor Krum, who was resplendent in fur-lined red robes. He looked at Viktor and then back at Harry and Draco, his face flushing. He hurried to his friends looking quite embarrassed.

"Care to explain?" Draco asked, thoroughly amused.

"I bumped into him a few times over the last few weeks," Ron explained. "He ended up asking me to the ball... And I panicked," Ron admitted sheepishly.

"Oh my god," Draco chortled. "You accidentally accepted a date with a famous male Quidditch player. Who does that?"

Ron scowled at him. "But... He's really nice and... Maybe I don't mind it," he said quietly. "I'm honestly really confused right now."

Draco took a calming breath and patted Ron on the shoulder. "Just enjoy the night," he advised. "No pressure. This doesn't have to mean anything."

Ron nodded, wringing his hands. "Alright," he agreed.

Harry looked Ron over. "You look really nice," he said. "What happened to your other robes?"

"Those are still at the bottom of my trunk," Ron replied, wrinkling his nose. "I'm not sure where these came from. They were delivered yesterday." He paused when he saw Draco blush slightly and glance away. "Did- Did you do this?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"I've no idea what you mean," Draco responded with an impatient huff. "Just enjoy the ball and shut up."

Ron looked away briefly before facing Draco again. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Draco's smile returned. "Enjoy your date." He snickered when Ron blushed again and moved back to Viktor. He hadn't intended for Ron to find out. Harry had told him about the ghastly set of robes that Ron had been given and that Ron had been horrified at the thought of wearing them. It seemed like such an obvious solution. The ball would be better for all of them if Ron wasn't miserable. That and... well, Draco didn't Ron to be unhappy.

Harry turned Draco to face him, his fingers coming up to brush lightly against Draco's jaw. "You're amazing," Harry whispered. "And if we weren't keeping a low profile, I'd kiss you."

Draco grinned. "There's always later," he suggested. "For now, we've got to get ready to dance."

A few moments later, they were ushered into the Great Hall. Fleur was being escorted by Roger Davies, a Ravenclaw. Cedric was escorting Cho.

There was a bit of a commotion when Ron stepped through the door on Viktor's arm. Students everywhere were gawking and whispering. Viktor's usual brooding expression had melted away for a satisfied smile to take its place.

"We're the best looking couple here," Draco murmured cheerfully, stepping through the doorway with his head held high. They might be keeping a low profile, but he belonged on Harry's arm and he intended to enjoy it. They did cause a bit of a stir, but it wasn't terrible.

Pansy had gleefully spread rumors about Harry being accosted in hallways by overzealous admirers, driving him to pair up with Draco for the ball. Hermione had confirmed the rumors with a roll of her eyes whenever the subject was brought up.

The Great Hall didn't even look like the Great Hall anymore. It looked like a glittering winter wonderland. Light snow fell from the enchanted ceiling, disappearing before it could melt on anything.

Draco turned to face Harry on the dance floor. "Are you ready?" he asked quietly, ignoring the huge crowd of students. When Harry nodded, Draco smiled. "Hand on my waist," he instructed, lightly resting his left hand on Harry's shoulder.

Harry got into position, and began leading Draco across the floor when the music started. He could barely focus on counting the steps as he looked at Draco's face. Draco was lovely and sweet and so happy to be Harry's date. At that moment, nothing else mattered.

Before long, other couples stepped onto the dance floor. Harry kept his focus on Draco, deciding that they'd look for their friends once the song had finished.

The waltz was followed by a band, the Weird Sisters, being introduced. As they started to play, Draco kept his fingers entangled with Harry's as they moved toward one of the few tables. Harry happily had Draco sit down before hurrying away to get punch.

Draco relaxed in his chair, grinning as Ron approached with Viktor. He gestured to the table in invitation and they sat down together. Draco smirked at Viktor. "So, Weasley, huh?"

"He's adorable," Viktor declared solemnly. Ron bit his lip, unable to suppress his pleased smile.

"There you are," Hermione said, approaching their table. She was followed closely by-

"Fred?" Harry asked, returning with two classes of punch.

"How can you tell them apart?" Ron blurted out incredulously.

"That's your question?" Draco snorted. "Nothing about the fact that he's Hermione's date?"

"That too," Ron nodded with a little frown.

"Why not?" Fred laughed, draping one arm across Hermione's shoulders.

He was dressed in simple black dress robes while Hermione wore a long dress made of floaty periwinkle fabric. Her normally bushy hair was tamed and arranged into an array of cascading curls.

"She's clever and pretty and I'd be an idiot not to ask her," Fred said, giving one of her curls an affectionate tug. Hermione blushed prettily, ducking her head.

"As long as you're good to her," Draco said, a warning in his tone, "we won't complain. She has a lot of brothers," he added with a little wink at Hermione. She beamed at him.

"I'll be the perfect gentleman," Fred agreed.

"Good," Harry said, handing Draco his punch. "Where's George?"

"Dancing with Angelina," Fred responded cheerfully. "They're a little... enthusiastic. I was afraid they'd injured us, so we stopped to grab punch."

Blaise and Pansy came over, followed by Vince and Greg. Blaise's smile seemed a little strained and he seemed unwilling to look directly at Ron and Viktor.

Aside from Blaise's discomfort, everyone seemed to be having a great time. Draco eagerly pulled Harry back to the dance floor. Harry felt like a clumsy idiot next to Draco, but he didn't complain. Draco certainly didn't seem to mind.

As the evening grew later, people began to disperse. Some headed to bed while others chose to rendezvous in the bushes... An odd choice in Harry's opinion.

Draco and Harry returned to their dorm, tired from all the dancing. The others hadn't returned yet so they were alone. Harry toed off his shoes with a sigh of relief and then turned to Draco.

"One more dance?" Harry asked hopefully.

Draco grinned at Harry's socked feet and hastily removed his own shoes. He stepped into Harry's arms, sliding his hand to the back of Harry's neck instead of his shoulder. Harry's hand reached around to press slightly against Draco's lower back. Draco started humming a tune, resting his temple against Harry's while Harry guided them in slow circles, enjoying the closeness.

Harry eventually stopped them, pulling back to look at Draco's face. Slowly he leaned forward and pressed their lips together. Draco hummed in approval, returning the gentle pressure of Harry's mouth.

They parted only to draw one another back in eagerly. Their kisses remained slow, sweet and chaste, but each struggled to keep the stirrings of arousal at bay. It really wasn't the time for that.

"I really like you Harry," Draco whispered against Harry's lips. "To me, you've always been more than my friend."

"Me too," Harry murmured.

"There's no rush. We're only in fourth year and with my father... It's complicated," Draco said with a heavy sigh. "We don't need a label right now. I just- I needed you to know how I feel about you." He looked away, his cheeks rosy.

Harry kissed Draco's fingers, reassuring his friend. "I feel the same," Harry admitted.

Draco could hardly contain his delight. Harry fancied him! Draco had suspected, of course, but now it was confirmed. He found himself longing to tell Harry how deeply he felt, but he restrained himself. He didn't fully understand it himself yet. Was this what falling in love felt like? Draco wasn't sure, and he wouldn't burden Harry with those three words until he knew for certain.

They shared one more kiss before parting to change for bed. The others returned a short time later.

Blaise had enjoyed himself somewhat, but he still felt an ache that rippled through his core. Ron had gone to the ball with Viktor. They'd danced, talked, laughed... Viktor had gently gripped Ron's hand or placed one hand against Ron's lower back. Ron had accepted it all despite obvious apprehension. And Blaise had seen it all, keeping silent, unwilling to spoil the evening for Ron.

Blaise looked between Harry and Draco, smiling slightly. He'd give them the night to have their privacy. But in the morning, he wanted details.


	23. Year Four: Part Four

After breakfast, Harry joined his friends out by the Black Lake. The air was cold, but there was no breeze to chill them further. Their group was much larger that day. Fred and George had joined them, with Fred sitting next to Hermione, admiring the blue bell flames that she put into jars to help warm them. Viktor was sitting next to Ron, draping his long heavy cloak over both of them for warmth.

Pansy, who had welcomed herself into their midst, was sitting next to Blaise and murmuring words of reassurance. It had taken very little time for her to realize that Blaise fancied Ron. She was certain that there was no reason to worry about Viktor. At the end of the tournament, Viktor would be leaving. And then Blaise could try to win Ron's affection. Blaise want so optimistic, but he appreciated her concern.

Seamus and Dean sat huddled together, exchanging smitten smiles. They'd been encouraged by Draco and Harry's decision to go to the ball as friends. But, it had quickly become clear that they felt more for each other.

"So, what is the egg for?" Dean asked, glancing between Harry and Viktor.

"It's meant to be a clue," Harry said. "But, when I opened it, all I could hear was... screeching."

"It was awful," Draco confirmed while Blaise, Vince and Greg nodded.

"I haf the same problem," Viktor agreed.

"What do you think it means?" Ron asked, tilting his head back to look at Viktor since they were sitting so close.

"I haf no idea," Viktor responded, reaching around to hug Ron closer. "You look cold," he murmured, his brow furrowing.

"Oh, I'm alright," Ron responded, his cheeks flushing. But he didn't make any attempt to escape Viktor's hold.

Harry glanced over in time to see Blaise glare and look away from Viktor and Ron. His suspicions from the summer now confirmed, Harry leaned to whisper to Draco. "Blaise is having a difficult time."

Draco shifted his gaze to Blaise, pursing his lips. Blaise did look miserable.

"Blaise are you okay?" Ron asked suddenly.

"I'm fine," Blaise responded, keeping his voice cool and his gaze fixed on the whomping willow in the distance.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked, concern seeping into his tone. He looked around at the others. "He wasn't feeling his best when we all woke up. Perhaps he got too cold while we played in the snow yesterday."

"We should get you inside then," Hermione said, eyeing Blaise worriedly.

"Really, I'm fine," Blaise brushed them off.

"Don't be an idiot," Ron said, getting up and shuffling around the others to get to Blaise. He held his hand out expectantly. "Come on. Up you get."

Blaise cringed but allowed Ron to pull him to his feet. "Alright, I'll go for a Pepper-up or something," he said grumpily.

"Good. Come on."

"You don't have to go," Blaise said, waving Ron away. "I'll be fine."

"We'll take him," Harry said quickly, getting to his feet. Draco followed instantly. "We'll see you before dinner," he assured Ron with a meaningful look.

Ron nodded in understanding. They had plans to work on figuring out the egg clue when they didn't have such a crowd. "Right," Ron said, eyeing Blaise with a little frown. "See you later."

Blaise sighed as he got back inside the castle. He had no intention of seeing Madame Pomfrey. So, now he needed to think of a way to get Harry and Draco to leave him alone.

"Were you ever planning to talk to us about this?" Harry asked calmly. When Blaise didn't speak, he continued. "You could have told us that you fancy Ron. Especially considering..." His voice trailed off as he looked over at Draco.

"It didn't matter," Blaise snapped with a little scowl. "He had only ever shown attraction to girls. Acknowledgement of my own feelings was pointless. And then, he stumbles into a date with Viktor sodding Krum. I mean, what the hell?"

Draco sighed. "You still should have let us know," he chided. "You need someone to be there for you. I know it hurts. You saw what I was like when I thought Harry would ask someone else to the ball."

"It's not as bad as all that," Blaise assured them. "You two are..." He shook his head. He couldn't think of a good word for the connection between Harry and Draco. "It's a crush, and I'm jealous. It hurts. But I'm not going to do something drastic... Probably. I did sort of want to hex Viktor earlier," he admitted.

Draco and Harry laughed.

"So, what about this then?" Blaise asked, gesturing between the other two boys. "You seemed disgustingly happy last night."

"We had so much fun," Draco said cheerfully. He glanced around with a mischievous grin. "And Harry kissed me."

"Did he?" Blaise shot Harry an amused look.

"Over and over," Draco went on happily. Harry's expression was a mixture of smug and embarrassed.

"How generous," Blaise laughed. "So, what does this mean for the two of you?"

"Basically, it means I that I get snog him sometimes," Harry replied with a smirk. "We're not labeling it. We're still best friends and we don't want to spoil that by drawing too much attention to how we feel."

"My father wouldn't approve of... Let's just say that he sees Harry as an asset, and nothing more," Draco said softly. "It seems easier to try to keep our relationship simple. Everything else is complicated enough."

Blaise wasn't sure that he agreed with their reasoning.

HP~HP

Weeks passed and Harry still had no idea what to make of the golden egg. He was beginning to panic. How was he to prepare for the next task? A few times, Draco had requested to hear the shrieking of the egg. But he'd only been able to tolerate the sound for a few seconds.

Cedric approached them one day as they were leaving the Great Hall after lunch. "I never properly thanked you," Cedric told Harry. "You didn't have to tell me about the dragons."

"Forget about it," Harry replied lightly.

"I'd like to return the favor," Cedric said. He paused, lowering good voice. "You know the prefect's bathroom? It's not a bad place for a bath."

Draco gaped incredulously at him.

"Just take your egg and... mull things over in the hot water," Cedric advised, slipping a scrap of parchment into Harry's hand. He smiled and waved before continuing on down the hall.

"Did he just... proposition you?" Draco demanded indignantly.

"What? No!" Harry cried, looking embarrassed. "He was telling me how to figure out the egg."

"By offering to help you take a bath?"

Harry snorted. "Draco," he chided.

"Fine, but that was a rubish way to help you," Draco grumbled. "You told him that the first task was dragons. You didn't vaguely hint at grumpy lizards."

"Grumpy lizards?" Harry chortled.

Draco's lips twitched. "You're lucky you're cute Potter." His eyes brightened with mischief. "Need help with your bath later?"

"Draco!" Harry yelped, flushing.

Draco laughed and danced out of reach as Harry swatted at him.

That evening, Draco waited in the Slytherin common room while Harry went to the Prefect's bathroom. Draco had wanted to go to help with the clue, but thought that joining Harry in the bath wouldn't be a good idea. It certainly didn't stop him from imagining it though. The thought was quite distracting and far more stimulating than Draco would like to admit.

When Harry returned, Draco's cheeks were pink and he was trying to focus of his potions book. Harry eyed him with concern. "Everything alright?" Harry asked.

Draco blushed even more. "Yes, everything is fine," he replied hastily, obviously flustered. "I was just looking over this potions recipe. And not thinking about you taking a bath," he added sheepishly.

"You sure about that?" Harry laughed, sitting down next to Draco. His dark hair was still damp, most of it plastered limply to his head.

Draco set his book aside before reaching up and gently combing his fingers through Harry's hair. "You're completely hopeless," he declared, his fingertips gently massaging Harry's scalp. After a moment of hesitation, he tugged at the wet curls, pulling Harry closer for a sweet kiss. He didn't think he'd ever tire of kissing Harry. "Tell me what you found out," he urged quietly, shifting to rest against Harry's side.

Harry handed Draco a piece of parchment that he'd written on. "You can hear singing when you open the egg underwater," Harry explained. "I wrote it all down." He waited while Draco read over the words.

Come seek us where our voices sound,  
We cannot sing above the ground.  
And while you're searching, ponder this:  
We've taken what you'll sorely miss.  
An hour long you'll have to look  
And recover what we took.  
But past an hour - the prospect's black  
Too late, it's gone. It won't come back."

Draco considered the words for a moment, his brow furrowed as he pondered. "So, it's the Black Lake," he said slowly. "It's merpeople, and they're going to take something from you. Something important. Right?"

"That was my thought," Harry nodded.

Draco sighed. "How are we going to help you stay under water for an hour?"

"I guess that's what we need to work on then," Harry replied lightly. "We have a few days to figure it out."

"I suppose you could always stand on the shore and scream for them to give back whatever they stole," Draco shrugged.

"Ah, the tantrum strategy," Harry laughed. "A classic." He stood up, stretching languidly. "We should get some sleep."

As Draco got to his feet, Harry transformed. Orion now sat on the floor, blinking tired green eyes up at the blond. "Is this your way of saying that you'd like to spend the night in my bed?" he asked, cocking one eyebrow playfully.

Orion meowed, cocking his head coyly.

Draco chuckled. "Well," he said slowly, "I suppose it's all rather innocent, since you're a cat."

Orion's head cocked the other way and he blinked slowly, a happy purr already vobrating through him.

"You're adorable," Draco declared, scooping up the cat, nuzzling the soft fur and scratching behind Orion's ears. He carried the cat toward the dorm, intent on falling asleep with the sweet feline at his side.

HP~HP

The day of the tournament arrived and Harry was incredibly nervous. He didn't think he could be any more prepared than he already was, but the idea didn't calm him.

It has been very lucky that he had more supporters. As soon as Neville had heard about the underwarer task, he'd hurried to Harry with a possible solution. He's read about a plant called gillyweed that would allow a person to breathe under water. So, Harry had done the only thing he knew to do.

Professor Snape hadn't even asked for an explanation. He simply handed over a jar containing the slimy green plant. He'd even given Harry a slight nod of approval.

Harry sat up in bed, glancing at the jar sitting on the nearby table. He wasn't looking forward to swallowing it, but he'd manage.

He looked toward Draco's bed, only to find that the blond wasn't there. Deciding that the blond was likely taking his morning shower, Harry got up and began dressing. Blaise, Vince and Greg were just getting up as well.

After breakfast, everyone went down to the lake. Harry stood on the shore with the other three champions. At the sound of the whistle, Harry hurriedly stuffed the gillyweed into his mouth and forced himself to swallow. He waded into the water as the others took off.

There was sharp pain in his neck and his body seemed to burn all over. Harry hurried deeper into water, diving in quickly.

Blaise stood next to Hermione, Vince, Greg and Pansy. They stared at the surface of the water silently for a moment. Then Blaise let out a little huff. "This is stupid," he grumbled. "We can't see what's happening. We're expected to just stare at the water for an hour?"

"What do you think the merpeople took?" Vince asked.

"I think the question is 'who'," Hermione corrected. "And there's not much question anymore. There's no way that Draco or Ron would miss this."

"Ron's missing?" Blaise asked, alarmed.

"You didn't notice the lack of ginger?" Pansy asked with an eyeroll.

"He's spent a lot of time with Viktor," Blaise argued. "I assumed that he'd just gone to sit with some of Viktor's friends."

"No, I haven't seen him at all today," Hermione said. "Ron doesn't miss breakfast, ever. And of course he'd join us to support Harry."

Blaise looked back at the surface of the water, his stomach clenching at the implications. Viktor's task was to save Ron. Ron had been selected as what Viktor would "sorely miss". The thought made Blaise feel sick.

"This is rather boring for a tournament task," George said, approaching the group with Fred and Ginny. "We've all just got to stand here and hope that the giant squid gets frisky."

"That's so mean!" Ginny cried, swatting at him. "Harry's down there."

"Draco and Ron, as well," Hermione said.

"What?" Fred asked, looking stunned.

"Draco is what Harry is searching for down there," Hermione explained. "And Viktor is searching for Ron."

Fred draped one arm over Hermione's shoulders, shaking his head. "Baby brother has won the heart of an international Quidditch star," he chuckled. His smiled faded as he looked out over the water. "What's going on?"

The others turned to see Fleur being pulled out of the water. There was a cut on her face. Madame Maxime rushed to her side, along with Madame Pomfrey.

"I hope Harry's okay down there," Vince murmured.

After what felt like an eternity, something burst through the surface of the water. Cheers erupted from the crowd and Blaise leaned forward, squinting. "That's blond hair... It's Draco and Harry!" he cried, hurrying toward the platform where the judges waited. His friends followed anxiously. Vince and Greg reached out and hauled Draco and Harry onto the platform once they'd managed to swim to the platform.

"S- So cold," Draco shivered, looking relived when Pomfrey held out warm fluffy towels for them. "Who else has finished?" he asked, wrapping himself up in the towel and huddling closely to Harry.

"We're first," Harry said, rubbing at his neck. "Do I still have gills?"

Draco laughed despite the chattering of his teeth. "No gills," he assured. He frowned as he noticed that Fleur was trying to rush back into the water. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Fleur didn't make it past the grindylows," Hermione said. Harry nodded sympathetically. The grindylows had tried to drown him.

McGonagall hurried over, nudging the other students aside to get to Harry and Draco. She looked them over anxiously before transfiguring a quill into a woolly blanket. She wrapped them up in it together, shaking her head in exasperation.

Cedric and Cho came out of the water, followed shortly by Viktor with Ron. They were each handed a towel and shuffled to one side. A moment later, a young blonde girl emerged from the water and was brought to the platform by one of the merpeople. Fleur cried out and ran to the girl, hugging her tightly.

"That's Fleur's little sister, Gabrielle," Draco explained, shivering again. He was grateful for the security of the blanket when Harry slid one arm around his waist and pulled him a little closer. Harry was always so warm.

While Dumbledore announced the standings, Harry noticed that Percy Weasley was sitting with the judges in place of Barty Crouch. Percy was surely quite pleased to have been given the responsibility.

"Brilliantly done Pup!" Sirius praised, pushing his way through the crowd to get to Harry. He wrapped his arms around Harry and Draco, hugging them both. "Hello Draco," he added cheerfully as he released them.

"It's nice to see you again, Sir," Draco replied. He smiled when he spotted Remus approaching. "Hello Professor Lupin."

Remus waved away the title. "Just Remus, please," he requested. "I'm glad you're both alright. Ron too."

"Why is Percy on the panel of judges?" Sirius asked, looking over at the judge's table with a frown.

"We were told that Mr. Crouch was feeling a bit unwell, so he stayed home," Draco replied.

Sirius frowned. "That's... strange. Barty doesn't miss work. Ever," Sirius added. "He's the type to take a potion and go into work anyway. A bit manic about it, actually."

"Nothing wrong with being dedicated to your work," Remus said lightly.

"Well, he was so dedicated that it cost him his family," Sirius responded. "If he'd spent any time at all with his son-"

"Sirius," Remus hissed, glancing around to see if anyone was listening.

"What happened to his son?" Harry asked.

"Barty had his own son thrown into Azkaban," Sirius said quietly. "Barty Junior had become a death eater, right under his dear old dad's nose." He shook his head. "Barty didn't hesitate. Just sentenced his son without a second thought. His poor wife... And Barty just continued on as if it was nothing."

"His son?" Draco asked, sounding horrified.

"This isn't the time or place for this," Remud murmured. He looked at Harry and Draco. "Crouch had to make a very difficult, painful decision," he said. "I'm sure there's not a day that goes by that he doesn't think of his son. He ended up dying in prison." He hugged Harry close for a moment. "I'm just grateful that I won't have to make such a choice with you. You two head up to the castle and rest."

Remus and Sirius stood together, watching as Draco and Harry returned to their friends. "That's an amazing kid," Sirius commented, his hand tracing circles over Remus' back.

"He is," Remus agreed. "I'm so proud of him. I just hope they can find out who put his name in the goblet." They turned and moved toward Minerva, hoping that she could update them.

In the next few days, the excitement of the second task faded. Barty Crouch Sr. had been spottee on the Hogwarts grounds, talking incoherently to a tree. Viktor had come across him and had run to get help. Crouch had been frantically asking for Dumbledore before turning back to the tree and muttering things like "my fault" and "couldn't stop him". But when the Professors arrived where Crouch had been, he was gone. The grounds were searched, but they couldn't find Crouch anywhere.

Because Crouch had sounded quite mad when Viktor found him, Percy was being questioned. How had he not noticed that Crouch wasn't completely stable? Harry felt terrible for Percy. The red-head had just wanted to do his job well and earn the appreciation of his superior.

Harry's anxiety grew with each passing day. The disappearance of Barty Crouch seemed ominous and strange. He wondered if it had anything to do with his name being put in the Goblet of Fire. There were just too many unanswered questions, and one wrong move could get Harry killed.

Harry's uneasiness seemed to be affecting Draco. The blond was spending more and more time in quiet contemplation. He remained at Harry's side as much as he could manage and still seemed happy enough to do so. But he'd begun having headaches. The pain wasn't unbearable, but it was persistent enough that he allowed Harry to take him to the hospital.

Madame Pomfrey couldn't find a reason for the headaches, but she had her suspicions that they were stress induced. Harry had felt horribly guilty about the suggestion, but Draco waved off his concerns.

"We just need to find even more spells for you to learn," Draco insisted, sighing as Harry's gently fingers combed through soft blond hair. They were sitting at a table in the library with their other friends. The rest of the library was empty, so Harry had eagerly taken to playing with Draco's hair.

"Having you be as prepared as possible will reduce my stress levels," Draco went on. "I'll feel better when this stupid tournament is over."

Harry hummed his agreement, reaching out to haul Draco's chair a bit closer before tugging the blond to rest against him more fully. Draco didn't object, yawning quietly and feeling enormously grateful that he didn't have to pretend to have a lesser affection for Harry at that moment.

"Why don't you ask Professor Moody for some help?" Hermione suggested. "He obviously has a knack for defensive magic."

Harry, Draco and Blaise all stiffened slightly at the suggestion. "I don't think so," Harry responded hesitantly. "He makes me really uncomfortable." Draco nodded fervently in agreement.

"I feel the same way," Blaise added.

"Is it the funny eye?" Ron asked curiously. "I admit it's creepy, but it's not so bad. Just don't look directly at it when it's spinning around."

"It's not that," Blaise replied with a shake off his head. "Something about him just seems off. He's far too interested in Harry."

"Dumbledore asked him to come teach," Hermione argued. "I'm sure he's trustworthy."

"Because his employment decisions have been stellar in the past," Draco said sarcastically, not bothering to lift his head from Harry's shoulder. "The man thought that hiring Guilderoy Lockhart was a good idea."

Ron stifled his laughter with his hand while Hermione flushed slightly. Blaise smirked.

"Anyway, I had another teacher in mind," Harry said. "Of course, he may not agree to help me."

"Snape?" Draco asked, tilting his head back to look at Harry. When Harry nodded, he sat up straighter. "I'm sure he'll help. Why don't we go ask him?" He looked around at their friends. "We'll see you all later?"

"Of course," Ron nodded. "We'll put these book away."

"Try to get some rest Draco," Hermione said worriedly.

Draco and Harry hurried to Snape's office, careful to keep a bit of space between them. They passed several other students in the hallways. Nobody seemed to give the two boys a second thought aside from offering a greeting.

Snape looked a little wary when he found them outside his office. "What is it now?" he asked impatiently. He ushered them inside, noting the way Harry's hand reached toward Draco's lower back before he stopped himself.

"First, I wanted to thank you for letting me have the gillyweed," Harry said solemnly. "It made my task so much easier and I really appreciate it. I'll replace it for you as soon as I can."

"That is not necessary," Snape replied dismissively, sitting down at his desk again. The two boys sat down in the chairs across from him. "What is it that you're looking for now?"

Harry bit his lip, hesitating for just a moment. "I hoped that you would be willing to teach me some defensive spells," he said quietly. "Or maybe just make some suggestions and I can try to learn them on my own. I've managed that with a few spells already. And I understand that you're busy."

Snape peered at Harry thoughtfully. "You have a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for that sort of magic," he commented.

"I don't feel comfortable asking him to help me," Harry admitted, ducking his head.

Snape's frown deepened. "And why is that?" he asked.

"He makes me... nervous," Harry said, fidgeting in discomfort.

"He demonstrated the unforgivable curses in class," Draco explained. "One day he actually placed many of us under the Imperius curse. He did it over and over until Harry could complete throw it off."

Snape's body went rigid. He hadn't been aware of that. It was certainly beneficial that Harry could resist the Imperius curse, but using such a spell on students felt like a violation. "Did he focus on anyone else?" Snape asked stiffly.

"Not with the Imperius," Draco denied. "With everyone else he only used the spell once."

"He keeps offering advice," Harry put in, looking unsettled. "I don't know what it is, but..." He trailed off, scrubbing at his face with one hand.

"It's creepy," Draco snapped. "There's something just not right about him."

Snape looked between his two students, considering. He wasn't particularly fond of Alastor Moody either, but clearly the ex-Auror needed to be monitored a bit more closely. Generally he wouldn't be bothered about such vague concerns from students, these two had shown themselves to be prudent, level-headed students. Except for when it came to their strange relationship. They were a bit stupid about that.

"Very well Potter," Snape drawled. "I will teach you, but I expect for your grades to remain exemplary."

Harry opened his mouth and then paused. "Exemplary?" he echoed, blinking at Snape.

"And I suppose you will be learning as well," Snape added, looking at Draco expectantly.

Draco nodded eagerly. He couldn't help Harry with the next task, but knowing some more advanced spells would certainly help him keep Harry safe in the future. Hopefully it wouldn't be necessary, but one couldn't be too careful.

HP~HP

Snape watched in surprise as Harry managed to conjure an impressive shield charm to deflect a stunner. It was a little surprising that Harry had managed a shield charm in fourth year. But the part that was truly astonishing was the resonance of magic that pulsed around the boy.

Harry was generally well-behaved and polite. Snape hadn't needed to put him in detention, and so hadn't been in close quarters with Harry without the presence of several other students. But now, with only Draco standing with them, the strength of Harry's magic was obvious. The boy wouldn't be a match against himself or Dumbledore, but he wielded more power than Shape expected.

Curious, Snape turned to fire a spell at Draco. "Protego," Draco snapped, his magic shielding him from the stunning spell. Of course, Snape wasn't using the full strength of the spell. It wasn't his intention to actually harm the boys, after all.

But Draco's magic was as impressive as Harry's. He held, perhaps, less of a fighting instinct than his messy haired companion, but his spell work was good.

Snape lowered his wand and approached his two students. He concentrated on the flow of magic as he halted in front of the two boys. It was a marvel, truly, to feel the magic that seemed to be slowly draining back into the two boys now that they weren't actively using it.

It wasn't an alarming or excessive amount of power. But the two teenagers did seem to have an edge over the other fourth years. Maybe even some of the older students. Snape supposed that it made a bit more sense now that Harry had been able to manage the animagus transformation so early in life. But why? And what about Draco?

"Alright, now try this one," Snape said tersely, refocusing his attention on teaching. Helping Harry survive the final task was priority.


	24. Year Four: Part Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say thank you all again for the amazing reviews. You guys are fantastic.  
> Now, this chapter has some back and forth going on. Since we know how the original story went, I focus more on what went on outside the maze, rather than inside.

Harry stood at the entrance of the maze, drawing in slow deep breaths to calm himself. As the champion in first place, he'd be entering the maze first. He had no idea what to expect, but he'd prepared as well as he could. He had learned an astounding number of new spells outside of normal lessons. Professor Snape had been invaluable. And Professor Moody had been keen to offer advice.

The firing of a canon was Harry's cue to step into the maze. He just needed to get through to the center, where the Triwizard Cup waited. Of course, getting lost wasn't the biggest problem Harry could run into. He gripped his wand tightly and moved forward cautiously.

Ahead, there was a rustling sound of something shifting against the hedges. Harry crept forward, his steps almost completely soundless in the grass. He edged around a corner and nearly groaned at the sight before him.

Two of Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts were scuttling around, blocking a pathway. Harry really didn't want to deal with them, but he also didn't care to have them sneak up on him while his back was turned to face something else. With a sigh of resignation, he lifted his wand.

HP~HP

Draco and his friends all sat together on the front row of the stands. Remus, Sirius and Minerva sat with them exchanging anxious looks. All four champions had gone into the maze, and now all anyone could do was wait.

Draco and Blaise watched as Professor Moody paced, his eyes flicking to the maze restlessly. It was making Draco nervous.

"What's he so worked up about?" Draco asked quietly.

"It's the final task," Blaise said with a shrug, though he didn't sound particularly convinced. "It's a pretty big deal."

"He doesn't look worried," Draco pressed. "He looks..." He trailed off, unsure of how to label Moody's behavior and expression. "That's not concern. It's... anticipation."

"Just stay calm Draco," Hermione soothed quietly.

"No, I think something's wrong," Draco insisted firmly.

"Settle down," Sirius murmured, patting Draco's back. "Dumbledore has been concerned about this tournament from the beginning. He's watching." He nodded to where Dumbledore was standing to one side, eyeing the greenery of the maze and then scanning the perimeter.

Red sparks shot into the air from within the maze. In a flash, a team of wizards was dispatched into the maze. Everyone else waited anxiously.

A few moments later, Fleur was carried out of the maze. She had twigs and leaves stuck in her perfect blond hair and there were little scratches on her face and arms. She was quickly awakened and had potions administered. Madame Maxine hovered and fretted, but Fleur seemed to be mostly shaken.

"One down," Ron said quietly. He looked at his friends, seeing fear that reflected his own. "Harry will be okay," he said, trying to reassure himself as much as them.

HP~HP

Harry gasped as Viktor lurched past him, his wand pointed at Cedric. Cedric had stumbled backward as his wand had been knocked from his hand. "Stupefy!" Harry cried hastily. He cringed as Viktor collapsed into the ground.

Panting heavily, Cedric snatched up his wand and sent up red sparks. He looked as if he would have liked to hex Viktor first.

"He was bewitched," Harry muttered. "Did you see his eyes?"

"I was trying not to avoid getting hit with a Cruciatus curse," Cedric snapped. He had a cut on his left cheek and he was dripping with sweat, his chest heaving with every breath.

Harry sighed, wiping sweat from his brow. He nodded to Cedric once before moving on. Cedric took off in the opposite direction.

Harry's thoughts whirled as he continued through the maze. He felt certain the Viktor had been under the Imperius curse. But that shouldn't have been possible. Surely an illegal curse would have no part in the tournament. So who had cursed Viktor?

Abruptly, Harry's thoughts fell silent and his eyes widened.

Was that a sphinx up ahead?

HP~HP

Ron gasped as Viktor was brought out of the maze.

Blaise couldn't ignore Ron's distress, even if it was over Viktor. He pulled Ron closer and draped one arm across the red head's shoulders. "Viktor will be fine," Blaise assured him. "They'll have fixed him up in no time at all."

"I'm worried about Harry!" Ron cried, his eyes wide and anxious. "Viktor is out of danger but something in that maze is taking them out one at a time. Harry shouldn't even be in there. He could be killed."

Blaise felt rather guilty for getting distracted by his jealousy. Of course Ron was terribly worried about Harry. They all were. Ron and Viktor may have gone to the ball, but that didn't outshine the almost decade long friendship between Ron and Harry.

"It'll be alright," Blaise murmured, hugging Ron closer. Blaise pulled Draco into his other side. The blond now had tears pooling in his grey eyes.

Fred and George were sitting on either side of Hermione. Fred was tracing tiny circles on Hermione's palm while she chewed at her loser lip, staring at the maze entrance where she had last seen Harry.

Vince and Greg vigilantly watched over their friends, periodically glancing at the maze. The tension in the crowd made them nervous.

Remus nudged Sirius, nodding toward Draco. Sirius frowned noting the tears that Draco was stubbornly blinking back. He reached out and grasped Draco's hand. "It's alright Draco," Sirius murmured. "We're all worried. Harry will be fine."

Draco couldn't bring himself to speak. He gave Sirius' hand a light squeeze, hoping to convey his gratitude.

It seemed so strange that most of the spectators seemed jubilant when Draco felt cold with fear. Once they'd been assured that Fleur and Viktor were alright, nearly everyone had been swept back into the excitement of the tournament.

But, Draco's dread was only growing.

HP~HP

Harry stood in front of the gleaming Triwizard Cup with Cedric. They'd helped each other along the way, and both were reluctant to claim the victory over the other.

As one, they reached out and grabbed the cup at the same time.

There was a strange sensation just behind Harry's navel as the maze fell away. He barely had time to register that the cup was a portkey before they'd landed in a new location.

"We're in a graveyard," Cedric said, looking around uncertainly.

Harry let go of the cup and looked around. Fog blanketed the area, but rows of grave stones were still visible. Harry also spotted a large cauldron sitting on the ground. That was an odd thing to have in a grave yard.

They turned at the sound of footsteps. Harry gasped at the sight of someone that made his blood run cold.

"Wormtail."

HP~HP

The crowd was growing restless. There'd been no further calls from within the maze and it had gone rather still.

The chatter was loud and grated on Draco's frayed nerves. He just wanted Harry to come out of the maze.

Draco flinched at a sudden pain in his arm. He tugged his sleeve up, but the skin was still perfectly smooth and unblemished. He sighed and looked back at the maze.

"This can't go on for much longer," Blaise said hopefully. "It must be nearly over."

Harry's anxious friends waited silently until Draco suddenly let out a sharp gasp. Blaise jumped at the sound, feeling Draco go rigid. He turned and his mouth fell open in horror to see Draco's face contorted with pain.

"Draco?" Remus lunged forward and grasped Draco tightly as the blond's body began to jerk. "Get Madame Pomfrey. He's seizing," he snapped.

Sirius bolted toward the mediwitch while Remus wrapped himself around Draco to keep him from hurting himself. Draco's friends immediately got up and moved to block the view of the rest of the students. Hermione had burst into tears and Blaise and Ron looked as if they might as well. McGonagall reached out and smoothed down Draco's hair while whispering soothing words.

Mercifully, Draco's body sagged and stopped jerking. Madame Pomfrey looked him over anxiously, casting diagnostic spells snd muttering under her breath.

Draco opened his eyes with a pained gasp, his hands trembling as he tried to pull himself out of Remus' grip. "Harry," he choked out, tears blurring his vision.

"Just relax," Pomfrey chided gently. "You've had a seizure. We need to get you to the hospital wing."

"No," Draco sobbed, his chest heaving. "I need Harry." He cried out in pain, slumping forward.

Remus pulled him closer, cradling Draco against his chest. By this time, Dumbledore and Snape had come over and were looking at Draco with alarm.

There was a thumping sound and then the audience burst into cheers. Harry and Cedric had returned.

And then Fleur screamed.

Cedric was lying still and lifeless, his eyes open and unseeing. Harry was clutching the body tightly, curled around Cedric protectively while one hand grasped the Triwizard Cup.

Dumbledore ran over and made to pull Harry away. Harry's head jerked up, tears pouring down his tired, dirty face.

"He's back," Harry sobbed. "Voldemort's back. He killed Cedric. Wanted me to bring his body back..." He trailed off, weeping openly.

Draco was now sitting quietly, his tears flowing freely as he stared at Harry. He cringed and whimpered at Mr. Diggory's mournful wails over his dead son. He buried his face against Blaise's chest, not bothering to fight the tears.

"Oh my..." Remus whispered, clutching Sirius hand tightly.

Professor Moody gently helped Harry to his feet. "Come on sonny," he urged. "You don't need to see this."

Dumbledore stood up and looked around, frowning when he spotted Moody and Harry about to enter the castle. He waved McGonagall and Snape over, taking off after Moody.

Draco lurched to his feet, his head throbbing and his limbs burning. He waved Blaise away when he attempted to pull Draco back onto the bench.

"Draco, you had a seizure," Hermione reminded him. "You need to rest."

"I need to get to Harry," Draco said urgently, his speech slightly slurred. "Something is wrong."

"We'll get him to the hospital wing," Siriud told the mediwitch hastily. He pulled Draco close to keep him steady. "Come in blondie."

Remus and the rest of Draco's closest friends followed Sirius and Draco back to the castle. Draco seemed alarmingly weak, so Sirius cast a quick spell and then scooped Draco up easily. Draco struggled for only a moment before groaning at the pain in his head and holding still.

Remus led the way, his sense of smell guiding them through the castle. They made it all the way to the Defense classroom, finding the door open. Voices drifted out as they drew closer.

They could see Professor Moody sitting in a chair while Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall pointed their wands at him. Moody's face began to change and distort as he thrashed in obvious discomfort. Suddenly, he looked nothing like Moody.

"Who the bloody hell is that?" Ron blurted out.

"That," Snape drawled, "is Barty Crouch Jr."

"He faked his death," Sirius murmured in realization, eyeing Moody with obvious disdain.

"Where is the real Alastor Moody?" Dumbledore demanded coldly.

A large trunk nearby was indicated and Dumbledore hurried to open it. Snape glanced at the students and then at Remus. "Lupin, you should get Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing," he said coolly. "Minerva, perhaps we should fetch the Minister."

Harry shuffled into view, looking exhausted and miserable. Remus wrapped him in a hug before leading him out. Sirius and the other students followed somberly.

HP~HP

Harry woke up to white curtains and muffled voices. He groaned softly, his head aching and his arm burning where Wormtail had sliced it open with a dagger. He flinched slightly as the curtains were abruptly jerked open.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Remus gasped, kissing Harry's hands as he blinked back tears of relief.

"You gave us quite a scare Pup," Sirius murmured, his voice rough with emotion.

Harry stared at them for a moment before his own eyes filled. "I'm sorry," he whispered, holding out his wounded arm. "Wormtail... He took my blood. He brought Voldemort back."

"No," Remus said firmly. "You are not to blame. You did nothing wrong."

"We're just glad you're alive Harry," Blaise said, moving to stand at the other side of the bed.

Harry looked around and spotted his other friends standing nearby. Except for-

"Where's Draco?" Harry asked.

"He's here Harry," Remus said softly. "Draco- Well, he got sick."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, sitting up slightly. He caught sight of Draco in the next bed, pale and frail looking.

"He was in pain," Blaise expained in a shaky voice. "He had a seizure and..." He cleared his throat, unable to continue.

"He's struggling to recover," Hermione concluded, patting Blaise's back consolingly.

"And he hasn't stopped crying, even in his sleep," Ron added quietly.

Harry struggled to get out of bed, desperate to reach his dearest friend. Remus and Sirius held him back, urging him to lie down.

"Perhaps it would help." Everyone turned to see that Dumbledore had come in with Snape and McGonagall, who rushed to Harry's bedside.

"What?" Remus asked, petting Harry's hair gently and eyeing Dumbledore.

"Bring Draco to Harry," Dumbledore said.

"They both need rest," Pomfrey objected.

"It couldn't hurt to try," Dumbledore said reasonably. "And it will likely calm Harry."

Without a word, Sirius carefully levitated Draco to Harry's bed. Draco did indeed still have silent tears running down his face. The sight nearly broke Harry's heart. Without caring who saw, he wrapped his arms around Draco and hugged the blond close.

For a long moment, nobody spoke. Remus and Sirius watched with wide eyes as Harry murmured softly in Draco's ear. His shaking fingers combed through soft blond hair.

"I'm here. I'm here Draco," Harry whispered, rocking Draco back and forth slightly.

Draco heaved a shuddering breath and sniffled a little before snuggling closer. He stayed asleep, but his body finally relaxed.

Harry wiped away Draco's tears while Madame Pomfrey checked the blond over again. She stood next to the bed for several minutes, casting diagnostic spells over and over.

"He's just resting," Madame Pomfrey said, sounding mildly surprised. "His magic is settling and he's healing well."

Blaise turned to Pomfrey. "What was wrong with him?" she asked.

Pomfrey frowned and exchanged an unreadable look with Dumbledore.

"I'm not sure," Dumbledore replied. "This is baffling indeed and I intend to research this. But for now, we have visitors."

A moment later, Minister Fudge came in with a few Aurors. "Crouch has been adminstered the Dementor's kiss," Fudge announced blithely.

Everyone flinched at the idea but didn't comment on it. "Now we just need to sort out what exactly happened to the poor Diggory boy," Fudge went on. "Poor Amos..."

"Voldemort killed him," Harry spoke up. ""Voldemort has returned, and he killed Cedric."

Fudge paled considerably and then cleared his throat. "Come now Harry," he said nervously. "You've had a trying day."

"One of his followers was just captured after spending most of the year disguised as a retired Auror," Dumbledore said impatiently. "He admitted that he was plotting to return Voldemort to his own body."

"See here," Fudge said, waving off the argument with an apprehensive glance around the room.

To everyone's shock, Snape strode right up to Fudge, rolling up his left sleeve. There was the Dark Mark, on the professor's arm. "There," Snape growled coldly. "It's gotten darker all year. A little over two hours ago, it burned black. He was calling the Death Eaters."

Fudge backed away from Snape, looking horrified. He turned to leave, but paused. He took a bag out of his robes and moved to drop it onto the table next to Harry's bed. "Your prize money," he explained, giving Harry one last wary look before hurrying away.

"He's going to be a problem," Snape muttered, covering his Dark Mark up again.

"Indeed," Dumbledore sighed.

HP~HP

Draco woke up feeling warm and safe. He opened his eyes slowly, cringing as the brightness of the hospital wing sent sharp pain through his head.

He tipped his head back and cautiously peeked at Harry. Harry seemed to just waking up himself, blinking slowly as he met Draco's gaze.

"Hey," Harry greeted fondly. "How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts," Draco admitted. "But other than that, I feel alright. Maybe a little tired."

Madame Pomfrey bustled over to the bed, giving Draco a pain potion for the headache before checking him over again. Dumbledore stood nearby, watching and waiting with a thoughtful frown.

When the medi-witch was satisfied, she hurried away. Dumbledore moved closer, smiling down at the two boys.

"What happened?" Draco asked, carefully sitting up in the bed.

"That is quite a tale," Dumbledore replied, taking a seat. "Professor Moody was not Professor Moody. Barty Crouch Jr. was using polyjuice potion to disguise himself. He was the one that put Harry's name in the goblet."

"Why?" Draco asked, dread creeping through his veins.

"The Triwizard Cup had been turned into a portkey," Harry explained quietly. When Cedric and I touched it, we were taken to a graveyard. Wormtail was there waiting for us with Voldemort." He closed his eyes tightly. "Voldemort was greatly weakened and they intended to use my blood to return him to a proper body."

"Did they..." Draco couldn't bring himself to finish the question. He gasped when Harry pulled back his sleeve to reveal his bandaged arm.

"Wormtail killed Cedric and then preformed the ritual to bring Voldemort back," Harry went on, stroking the bandage idly. "I had to duel him. The death eaters stood around and watched. But, something odd happened with our wands... They sort of connected and... And I saw Cedric, my parents and two other people I don't know."

"Priori incantatum," Dumbledore murmured. "You and Voldemort have wands that share a core. As brothers they naturally tend not to work well against one another. If forced against each other, the result is the connection you saw. One of the wands is forced to purge the last few spells it cast. So you saw the shadows of the last people that had been murdered."

Draco bit his lip, glancing at Dumbledore before turning to Harry. "Was my father there?" he asked quietly.

Harry nodded sadly, gathering Draco into his arms when the blond buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry Draco," Harry whispered.

"Trying times lie ahead," Dumbledore muttered somberly. "Voldemort's return is only the beginning. But neither of you are alone in this."

Dumbledore got up and left the infirmary. He had a lot of thinking to do. He was going to need to have a very difficult conversation with Harry in the near future. For the time being, Draco and Harry should be allowed to comfort each other.

Draco stayed where he was, glad for Harry's warm embrace. Everything had just gotten so much more complicated. His father was going back to serving the Dark Lord. And Harry was the enemy. It was impossible to know how this would play out with Draco caught in the middle.

Harry's thoughts were similarly engaged. He took a deep breath and pulled back to meet Draco's anxious gaze. "I can't do this," he said quietly.

"It'll be alright," Draco told him gently. "You've got me, your family and your friends. There are plenty of people that will fight against you-know-who." He gave Harry's unbandaged arm a comforting squeeze.

"That's not quite what I meant," Harry muttered, his expression pained. "I meant this," he said, reaching up and lightly touching Draco's face.

Draco stilled, withdrawing his hand. "What do you mean?" he asked, his heart rate speeding up.

"Draco, I couldn't stand it if something happened to you," Harry murmured. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me. Voldemort is a lunatic... And I'd rather keep my distance from you and know that you're safe."

Draco felt sick. "Are you..." He choked on a sob. "You're breaking up with me before we even manage to start dating?" he asked incredulously. This couldn't be happening.

"He killed Cedric!" Harry cried, desperate to make Draco understand. "I could never let that happen to you. You are too important to me."

"Please don't do this," Draco pleaded.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered. "This is too dangerous. Your father works for my enemy. If they find out how-"

"You complete arse," Draco snapped, cutting Harry off. He clambered out of the bed and glared at Harry through watery eyes. "How can you just take away my choice like that?"

"Draco-" Harry started, hating to see such pain on his friend's face.

"Piss off," Draco hissed before storming out of the infirmary.

Harry slowly drew his knees up to his chest, his breathing suddenly sounding far to loud. He bowed his head and gave in to the misery that wrenched its way through him.

That was how Remus, Sirius and Minerva found him a few minutes later. They rushed to the bed and Remus pulled Harry into his arms. Harry's sobs were heartbreaking.

"Tell me how to fix it," Remus begged, stroking Harry's messy hair. "Anything Pup." At that moment, Remus was ready to howl with misery himself.

Harry managed to tell them about his conversation with Draco, his tears never stopping. He couldn't think of a time that he felt worse than he did at that moment.

So this was that first heartbreak that Minerva and Remus had feared. But Harry had done this to himself.

"Maybe we should take him home," Sirius murmured, eyeing Harry with concern. "The term is almost over and he doesn't have to take the exams."

"I think that may be for the best," Minerva nodded. "I'll speak with his friends and we can have Dobby collect his things."

Harry didn't have the strength to object. His head throbbed from so much crying and he desperately missed Draco already.

HP~HP

"Harry just left?" Ron asked Blaise, shocked. He glanced around the library making sure that nobody was listening in on their conversation.

Blaise nodded. "McGonagall said that he was pretty bad off," he said.

"How's Draco?" Hermione asked, pushing her notes aside.

"Not good," Blaise admitted. "He won't talk to me. I'm pretty sure that he cried all night," he added quietly.

"It just doesn't seem right," Ron commented softly. "They've always been inseparable." He gave a tight lipped smile when he saw Viktor walk in and head toward their table. "Hey Viktor."

"How is Harry?" Viktor asked solemnly, sitting down next to Ron.

"He had to go home," Ron said.

Viktor nodded. "I vish I could haf said goodbye," he muttered. "But perhaps I vill be seeing him soon. He is a good friend to you, yes?" he questioned Ron.

"Of course," Ron answered.

"Vell, I vos planning on seeing you often this summer," Viktor informed him, giving Ron's hand a squeeze.

Ron blushed. "Really?"

"You are very young," Viktor said quietly. "But I would like to wait for you."

Ron couldn't help the delighted grin that spread across his face. "I'd like that," he said, allowing Viktor to twine their fingers together.

Blaise sighed. It looked as if Viktor planned to hang on to Ron. Not that Blaise could blame him. But it was alright. Blaise could be happy for Ron. They were friends. With the rift between Draco and Harry, the rest of them needed to keep it all together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I know this chapter ended badly for Harry and Draco. Just hang with me guys.


	25. Reunions and Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt so bad about the cliffhanger in the last chapter. Sorry guys. But, this chapter should make you feel a bit better. Fair warning, this is just saturated with fluff. It's so sweet your teeth will hurt. I'm talking major sappiness. It'll tone down some after this but, this chapter is a game changer.

Sirius frowned as he poked his head into Harry's bedroom. Harry was sitting on his bed with a green stuffed dragon cradled in his lap. "Who's your friend?" Sirius asked, indicating the dragon with a nod.

"This is Lumos," Harry said with a sad little smile. "Draco gave him to me for my sixth birthday."

Sirius sat down on the bed, looking at the dragon. "That makes it.   pretty special," he commented.

Harry nodded, his breath hitching. "Sirius-" He paused swallowing hard. "Did I make a mistake?"

Sirius sighed heavily, draping his arm across Harry's shoulder. Harry had spent the last few weeks in a haze of depression. He ate very little and was plagued by nightmares.

"I don't know Pup," Sirius admitted. "You've been dealing with a lot." He tilted his head to peer at Harry. "How do you feel about him? Honestly?"

Harry's cheeks turned a bit pink. "I feel like a piece of me is missing," he whispered. "It feels like I can hardly breathe knowing that Draco probably hates me right now. But I'd do anything to keep him safe. I think I-" He stopped himself, blushing even further.

Sirius smiled. He didn't need to hear Harry say the words to know what his godson felt.

"Giving him up won't necessarily keep him safe," Sirius pointed out. "It was sweet that you sacrificed your own happiness to protect him, but maybe it's not needed."

"But Mr. Malfoy-"

"Narcissa would die before letting someone hurt Draco," Sirius said firmly. "Of that, we can be completely certain." He ran one hand through Harry's messy hair. "You and Draco being completely miserable doesn't fix anything."

Harry sniffled, scrubbing at his eyes. He leaned against Sirius tiredly. "I never wanted to hurt Draco," he said softly.

"I know you didn't," Sirius responded. "And I think Draco probably knows that. But it might be wise to write to him." He paused, fidgeting with sudden nervousness. "Before that, I wonder if I could talk to you about something?"

"Of course."

"Well, I want you to know that I love you, and I'm so grateful to be in your life," Sirius began. "You and Remus are my whole world. And good old Minnie, of course." He thought for a moment, weighing his words. "Harry, you will always take priority. Your happiness is so important to me."

Sirius paused again, clasping his hands together nervously. "Harry, I would like your blessing," he said, meeting Harry's vibrant green eyes. "I'd like to ask Remus to marry me, but only if you-"

His little speech was cut off when Harry pounced on him with a hug. "Yes," Harry said eagerly. "I'm so happy for both of you."

"For us," Sirius corrected. "This is as much about you as it is Remus and I. If you weren't comfortable with this, than I wouldn't ask him."

"Ask him," Harry told him sincerely.

A moment later, Remus stepped into the room. "How about some tea and biscuits while we wait for everyone to get here?" he suggested, smiling at the sight of Harry hugging his stuffed dragon while leaving against Sirius.

"Sure," Sirius said lightly. "But, could I talk to you first?"

Remus nodded and sat down on the bed.

"Harry and I were talking," Sirius began. "I've been doing a lot of thinking..." Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. "Remus, will you marry me?"

Remus stared at Sirius in shock before his gaze shot to Harry. Harry was smiling for the first time in several weeks. Remus looked back at Sirius, his breath catching at the gold band inside the box.

"Say yes," Sirius coaxed, smiling hopefully. "We'll be a real family for Harry."

"You're already my real family," Harry pointed out.

"I- Yes!" Remus blurted out.

Sirius cheered and yanked Remus into his lap, pulling his new fiance into a heated kiss.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Come on now. I don't want to see my dads snogging while they're sitting on my bed."

Remus snorted, nudging Sirius. "Dad-foot," he muttered, giggling.

Sirius and Harry roared with laughter.

HP~HP

During the previous war, Dumbledore had lead a group called the Order of the Phoenix. With the return of Voldemort, the remaining members had been called back together. There were fewer of them, but they hoped to recruit more members.

Ron, Ginny, Fred and George spent time with Harry while the adults had their meeting. Harry was glad to see them, but he wasn't looking forward to the interrogation he assumed that he's be getting from Ron. Harry and Ron hadn't seen one another since the day of the third tournament event.

Instead of jumping right into questions, Ron hugged Harry tightly. "You know I'm here for you," Ron said quietly.

"Thanks Ron," Harry responded. He offered a shaky smile when they broke apart. "Come on up to my room." He motioned for Fred, George and Ginny to follow as well.

Once they'd all made themselves comfortable on the bed or in chairs, Ron looked Harry over. "Are you alright?" Ron asked.

"I've been better," Harry answered. "How's Draco?" he asked tentatively.

"It's difficult to say," Ron shrugged. "He doesn't say much in his letters. The last time I saw him... He looked bad Harry."

"I don't understand," Ginny said, looking between Harry and Ron. "Were you and Draco... er, together?"

Harry shook his head. "We weren't. But, we wanted to be."

Ginny frowned, a little disappointed. "I didn't know that you were gay," she said quietly.

"Never really thought about it," Harry shrugged. "I've only ever..." He blushed. "Just Draco. I mean, I find other people attractive but..."

"This is adorable," George said with a smirk.

"Sweet ickle Harry only has eyes for Draco," Fred cooed. He ducked when Ginny swatted at him.

"Shut it," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, so we should talk about Viktor instead," Fred suggested with a grin.

"How is he?" Harry asked.

"He's great," Ron said, struggling to ignore the twins as they made kissy faces at him. "He came to visit. Mum and Dad really like him. He plans to come see me at Christmas as well."

"So, you really like him?" Harry asked.

Ron smiled. "Yeah," he answered quietly. "Didn't think I'd ever like a bloke that way, but... I'm happy."

Harry nodded. He glanced at the twins. "What have you two been up to?"

"Trying to earn some money since our life savings is gone," Fred replied with a frown.

"We bet on the Quidditch World Cup last summer, and won," George explained. "But Ludo Bagman paid us with Leprechaun gold... Which disappears after a little while. We've tried to catch up with him to get out money back, but he's avoiding us."

"We were going to use that money to open a joke shop," Fred complained.

"That's awful," Harry said. Then he smiled. "I can fix that, actually." He got up and opened the drawer of his bedside table, reaching in to pull out a bag. "This is the money from the Triwizard Tournament. I want you to take it." He held the bag out to Fred.

Fred shifted away, looking stunned. "That's a lot of money," he objected. "We can't accept that."

"You earned that, Harry," George added. "You were amazing."

"I don't want it," Harry said firmly. "I don't need it. It would make me happy if you could put it to good use. A joke shop sounds like a great idea to me." He pressed the bag against Fred's chest, smiling slightly when Fred hesitantly grasped the bag.

"Thanks Harry," George said, his eyes wide. "We've got an investor Fred."

"That we do George," Fred agreed, setting the bag of gold aside. This would allow them to open a shop as soon as they graduated.

They spent some time playing chess and exploding snap. Harry was glad that the Weasleys had come over. He'd been so miserable, but his friends made him feel a little less hollow inside.

Dinner that evening was a noisy affair. The Weasleys, Dumbledore and Kingsley Shacklebolt, an auror, had stayed for the meal. Molly fussed over how pale and tired Harry looked while Minerva watched him to make sure that he actually ate his dinner.

Remus was sitting next to Sirius, blushing. News of their engagement had swept through the Order and there had been a lot of good-natured teasing. Of course, Sirius had fueled the teasing with his suggestive commentary. Despite the embarrassment, Remus was delighted. Now if Harry could just be happy again...

As if in answer to his thoughts, an owl flew in through an open window and landed in from of Remus. It was a beautiful bird, and Remus recognized her right away. He took the letter that was tied to the owl's leg, stroking the tawny feathers on her stomach.

"Secret admirer?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"Obviously," Remus replied, rolling his eyes. "It's from Narcissa." His eyes scanned the page, his smile falling. He looked up to meet Harry's gaze. "Up for a little trip?"

Harry swallowed hard, nodding. Surely this meant that he was going to see Draco. "Now?" Harry asked apprehensively.

"Right now," Remus confirmed with a nod. He turned to Sirius. "Want to come along?"

Sirius nodded, casting an anxious look at Harry.

"We won't be gone long," Remus said, looking around at the others as he stood up.

Harry hastily followed Sirius and Remus out, excited but fearful at the same time.

Narcissa and Draco sat together on a park bench, looking at nothing in particular. Draco was glad to be out of the manor, but being outside didn't make him feel much better. His mother had given up on asking what was wrong. He didn't want to talk about his broken heart.

Narcissa eyed her only son anxiously. She knew from Remus that Draco and Harry had had a bit of a falling out, and that it had been very painful for both of them. When Draco returned home for the summer, he seemed empty. She never saw him cry. He didn't make demands or shout. He simply existed within the manor and avoided talking as much as he was able.

With the Dark Lord's return came an uncomfortable tension within Malfoy Manor. Lucius was focused on serving his master and keeping up appearances. He didn't seem to notice their son's struggle or pain. But Narcissa could use Lucius' distraction to her advantage.

She looked up and felt profound relief when she saw Harry following Remus and Sirius toward the park. Part of her had wanted to be angry with Harry for hurting her son, but that idea was brushed off when she saw Harry's face. He looked as unhappy as Draco did.

Draco flinched when he realized that they weren't alone. His eyes widened when he saw who exactly had approached.

"I think it's time to clear the air," Narcissa said gently. "Draco?" Her voice remained calm and quiet but there was a hint of a command in her tone.

Draco stood up, keeping his eyes cast down. He suddenly feared that he might throw up. He hadn't thought that seeing Harry again would make the pain so much worse. His eyes burned and his bit down on his lower lip.

Harry could hardly contain himself. He hated himself for hurting Draco so badly. "Draco?" he called quietly. His breath hitched when he saw Draco tremble. "Draco, I'm so sorry. I wanted to do what was best for you, but instead I hurt us both."

Draco's head jerked up and he glared with eyes brimming with unshed tears. "You don't get to decide what's best, Harry Potter!" he snapped angrily. "You're pants at it. Do you know what you did to me? Do you have any idea how much you hurt me?"

"It hurt me too," Harry responded softly.

"And that's your fault," Draco hissed out.

Harry sucked in a shaky breath. "I'm sorry," he insisted, his own eyes flooding. "I can't begin to tell you how much I regret it. I've missed you so much."

It was exactly what Draco wanted, but he was still angry with Harry. He felt torn between prolonging Harry's suffering and soothing his own battered soul.

When a single tear trailed down Harry's cheek, Draco's stubbornness fled him. He rushed straight into Harry's arms, his momentum and eagerness knocking them both to the ground.

Narcissa, Remus and Sirius moved away to give them a moment. Harry and Draco got up and moved to sit on the bench.

"You're so stupid," Draco grumbled petulantly.

"I know," Harry sighed. "In my defense, I'd just seen Cedric die. The thought of anything happening to you... But, I'll find another way to protect you."

"We'll protect each other," Draco corrected, tentatively reaching out to touch Harry's hand.

Harry laced their fingers together. He sighed happily at the contact.  It was like coming home.  "So, where does this leave us?" he asked.

Draco cocked his head to one side. "You tell me," he said lightly.

Harry smiled. "I want to go back to the way we were. Except..." He bit his lip, giving Draco's hand a little squeeze. "I'd like to have the title now."

Draco smiled shyly, his cheeks growing pink. "Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?" he asked.

"I am," Harry confirmed.

"Then it's official," Draco said, beaming when Harry kissed his hands. "It still might need to be a secret at school though." He looked a little disappointed at the idea of hiding their relationship.e

"But we will know," Harry said firmly. "You and I are what matters most here. We'll tell our closest friends, but nobody else needs to know until we're ready to deal with that."

Draco sighed happily. He and Harry were a couple now. He hadn't thought that the label would feel much different, but it did. He'd always felt a sense of entitlement when it came to Harry. But this felt like a validation of that. Harry was his. And Draco intended to cherish him always.

Narcissa watched the pair with growing unease. "Their relationship is more than friendship, isn't it?" she asked.

Remus hesitated. "There was nothing official," he answered. "Harry said that they were trying to avoid complications. Of course, not naming it didn't stop it from being a romance anyway."

Narcissa sighed, not knowing what to say. She wanted Draco to be happy, but this was actively tossing their traditions aside. Although, Draco's preference was likely going to destroy the chance of a new Malfoy heir regardless. Lucius might not think much of pushing Draco into a loveless marriage, but Narcissa couldn't do it.

"I want him to be safe," Narcissa said quietly. "Whatever else happens, I want Draco to be alright. I don't know what's going to happen, but once the war starts... I know what my son's choice will be."

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look of concern. "Narcissa, if you ever need a safe place-" Remus began, worry creasing his brow.

"I know who to call on," Narcissa assured him with a tense smile.

HP~HP

Leaving the park had been difficult. After weeks of pining, Harry had been able to sit and hold Draco's hand. And they were boyfriends! As painful as the memory of Cedric's death was, it was a little easier to bear with the assurance of Draco's continued affection and support. A kiss would have been nice, but they had been a little too shy to do so in front of their parents.

Ron grinned widely the moment Harry walked into the house. "Somebody is feeling better," he commented.

Harry blushed, a smile curling on his lips. The twins and Ginny laughed while Molly and Arthur looked baffled.

"I'm sure there's an interesting story here," Dumbledore said lightly. "But, I wonder if I could have a moment of your time Harry? Your parents as well," he added.

Curious, Harry followed the headmaster to the kitchen. He sat down on a bar stool at the counter while Dumbledore waved his wand to begin making tea. Remus, Sirius and Minerva sat down as well, watching Dumbledore apprehensively. Once everyone had a cup in hand, Dumbledore focused on Harry.

"I've been debating whether or not to speak to you about this," Dumbledore began, sounding uncharacteristically apprehensive. "Please understand that I never would have wanted to burden you with such knowledge. I need for you to know that if I could protect you from such things, I would. As it is, there are some things that you need to know."

Dumbledore took a sip of tea and then carefully set the cup back in its saucer. "Voldemort took steps to ensure his own immortality," he said. "He created something called... a horcrux. Multiple horcruxes, actually."

Predictably, Minerva gasped in horror. Remus and Sirius stiffened, their eyes wide.

"What's a horcrux?" Harry asked uneasily.

"It's an object that a wizard places a piece of his own soul into," Dumbledore explained. "The soul has to be torn, but the only known way to accomplish such a thing is murder. Tom Riddle's diary was a horcrux, and has been destroyed. I believe he made several Horcruxes, but it has been difficult to collect the information necessary to determine how many he made." He paused and met Harry's worried green eyes. "It is also my belief that he created another horcrux when he killed your parents, though this one was not intentional."

Minerva gasped, raising trembling fingers to press against her lips. Remus made a strange, pained sound while Sirius clenched his fists and looked down.

"Am I the horcrux?" Harry asked softly, forcing himself to keep his eyes on the headmaster.

"I'm sorry Harry," Dumbledore said sincerely. "I will work to find a way to fix this. I won't rest until I can free you from that burden."

Harry nodded slowly. "Is that all?" he asked warily.

"Tell him about the prophecy," Sirius said through a clenched jaw. Remus and Minerva looked surprised but they nodded their consent.

Dumbledore's shoulders sagged a bit. "Shortly before Voldemort's defeat, I was interviewing Sybill Trelawney for the Divination position," he explained. "During the course of our meeting, she went into a trance and spoke a prophecy." He cleared his throat. "'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.'"

Harry stared at Dumbledore in wide eyed shock. "So I have to kill him before he kills me?" he asked, his tone bordering on hysteria.

"Don't get too caught up in the prophecy," Dumbledore warned. "The baby mentioned could have been Neville Longbottom. It was Voldemort that chose you as his rival. Perhaps because you are a half-blood like himself," he suggested with a little shrug. "The point is that Voldemort was only ever informed of the first half of the prophecy. And he set up the circumstances for his own defeat by choosing you and targeting your family." Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. "The power he doesn't understand is love, and we can use that against him. But not because it was foretold."

Harry nodded slowly. Not believing in the prophecy wasn't going to change the fact the Voldemort believed it. But, he supposed that it was good to finally know he'd been orphaned as a baby.

"Voldemort is looking to hear the rest of the prophecy," Sirius told Harry. "He sees it as a weapon, and we'd prefer not to allow him to get it."

"Why?" Harry asked sarcastically. "He might use that knowledge to try to kill me?"

Sirius burst into surprised laughter, yanking Harry into a hug. "You sounded just like your father just then," he guffawed.

Remus shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. He smoothed down Harry's messy hair. "Are you alright Pup?" he asked.

Harry's smile faded and he pulled away from Sirius slightly. "I'm afraid of what me being a horcrux could mean," he admitted. "The diary horcrux tried to kill Ginny. And me. Are my friends going to be safe around me?"

"The difference with you is that you also have your own soul," Dumbledore said. "I believe your soul will be enough to prevent the fragment of Voldemort's soul from taking over." He frowned thoughtfully. "The concern here is Voldemort becoming aware of the connection you share. He could use that to see into your thoughts and feelings."

"We can't let that happen," Harry blurted out, alarmed.

"I agree," Dumbledore nodded. "Since you were already working on advanced spells with Professor Snape, I think he would be a good candidate to reach you Occlumency. It would allow you to keep your mind shielded. We'll ask him about that after the meeting tomorrow."

Dumbledore left a short time later and Harry returned to his friends. When they had a few moments alone, Harry told Ron everything that had been discussed. Ron did his best to offer reassurance, but neither felt any real comfort from it.

HP~HP

The next day, Snape arrived a little early for the meeting with a surprise for Harry.

"Draco!" Harry cried when he saw the blond walk in behind the potions master.

Draco launched himself at Harry, knocking Harry over. Again. They both giggled breathlessly.

Remus snorted. "I need to start casting cushioning charms whenever these two have to spend any time apart," he laughed. Then he groaned when Sirius transformed and jumped on top of the two boys.

"No! Padfoot get off!" Draco cried, giggling and trying to squirm a way when the dog began licking his face.

"Oi! Bad dog!" Ron chided loudly. He shrieked and took off up the stairs when Padfoot jumped toward him.

Draco got to his feet, pulling Harry up with him. His pale face was flushed and his smile was full of delight. "I've got the whole day with you," he informed Harry.

"That's brilliant!" Harry enthused.

Behind them, Snape was looking between them and frowning. He turned to look at Dumbledore meaningfully.

"Most extraordinary," Dumbledore murmured.

Harry and Draco turned to look at the headmaster in question. Dumbledore hesitated and then motioned for them to sit down.

Harry and Draco sat down side by side on the couch. Harry reached over shyly, taking hold of Draco's hand. Sirius and Ron came back downstairs, their smiles fading at the solemn atmosphere of the room.

Sirius, Remus, and Minerva stood together waiting anxiously for Dumbledore to speak. Ron plopped down onto the couch next to Harry, reaching back to swiftly pat Draco on the back. Snape hovered near the fireplace, his dark gaze fixed on Harry and Draco.

Draco was quickly brought up to date on horcruxes and the prophecy. He listened carefully, frowning throughout the explanation. By the end of it, he was pressed close to Harry's side, obviously distressed.

"I think this newest discovery is very important," Dumbledore said pensively. "It's really quite amazing. I've never seen this before."

"What?" Minerva demanded impatiently.

Dumbledore smiled. "I think that Harry's soul suffers from the close contact with Voldemort's own wicked soul," he said. "As such, it seeks to heal itself. What better way than through another soul? Draco's."

"Harry's trying to take Draco's soul?" Ron asked, his tone disbelieving.

"No," Dumbledore chuckled. "It's trying to bond closer to Draco's soul. In turn, Draco's soul seems to be reaching out to offer healing as well."

"They're soul mates," Remus said, staring at Harry and Draco in wonder. "Are you sure? This is... Well, it's a little odd."

"It makes more sense than you realize," Snape commented.

"Essentially, soul mates are kindred spirits," Dumbledore told the teens. "They share a connection that transcends regular human attachments. It's not always a romantic connection. I always thought that Sirius and James were soul mates. The relationship they had was that of brothers."

Sirius smiled a little sadly and pressed closer to Remus. Remus kissed his forehead and pulled him into a hug. Thinking of James was still enormously painful for Sirius. As much as Remus still missed James and Lily, he wasn't sure that Sirius would ever fully recover from the loss.

"The difference here is the threat to Harry's soul," Dumbledore went on, looking around to include Harry's guardians. "The damage inflicted caused Harry's soul to seek its mate and draw it closer. We've noticed it because it seems to have changed their magic. Draco's soul is sustaining Harry's and their magic seems to have grown and evolved to support their bond."

"Their magical signatures feel shockingly similar," Snape added.

"So what does this mean for them?" Minerva asked.

"It means that we will need to be cautious," Dumbledore replied gravely. "Voldemort must not discover their bond. They'll both need to learn Occlumency. There is also a chance that this gives us an advantage."

"How's that?" Sirius asked. "It sounds like they're both just more vulnerable."

"In some ways, perhaps," Dumbledore nodded. "But, they're stronger together. And Draco was the first to know when something went wrong during the tournament."

"Is that why I- you know?" Draco queried, slightly embarrassed.

"When we considered the time line of events," Snape cut in, "we realized that you had your seizure around the time of the Dark Lord's resurrection. Mr. Potter reported excruciating pain when the Dark Lord touched him."

Draco nodded slowly, his thoughts spinning through his mind. "So, what do we do?" he asked.

"Well, do you wish to keep the bond you share?" Dumbledore asked. "There may be a ritual that would server the connection."

Draco turned to look at Harry with an affectionate smile. "We'll keep it," he said softly. "I always knew that we were meant to be together." Harry gave Draco's hand a little squeeze to show his agreement.

Remus chuckled, remembering a six year old Draco's declaration that he was going to marry Harry.

"Then you allow your bond to grow," Dumbledore nodded. "Protect each other and keep working on your advanced spells. There's not much known about soul mates, so we'll have to see what happens."

"Do you think-" Draco paused, biting his lip uncertainly. "Maybe I can get rid of the horcrux in Harry. The horcruxes have to be destroyed, but I can't allow Harry to die."

"I don't know," Dumbledore admitted. "But, as I said yesterday, if there's a way, I'll find it."

As members of the Order of the Phoenix arrived, Ron urged Draco and Harry upstairs. He was a little shaken over all the new information. It made him feel a surge of protectiveness for his two friends.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking between Harry and Draco expectantly.

"Fine," Harry responded, looking a little flustered. "Soul mates..."

"Honestly, it explains so much," Ron laughed.

"There's no reason to get all worked up about it," Draco said calmly, reaching up to gently run his fingers through Harry's tangled locks. "We've always been soul mates. Nothing has changed."

"Except that we're a couple now," Harry corrected with a lopsided little smile.

"Thank Merlin," Ron declared rolling his eyes. He eyed them for a moment. "I'm going to give you two a moment. I'll see if Dobby will send up some snacks." He left the room with a knowing smirk.

Draco grinned, eagerly stepping into Harry's arms. He wondered if he'd learn to discern what their bond between their souls felt like. Maybe that would help him work out how to free Harry from Voldemort's soul.

Harry held Draco close and pressed their lips together tenderly. Warmth flooded through him, sweet and slow. It calmed Harry's mind and wound around his heart, soothing any lingering ache from his separation from Draco.

"I feel you," Draco whispered, his lips still brushing against Harry's. He slid his hand between them to rest trembling fingers against Harry's chest, right above his heart. "We'll be alright," he added.

Harry nodded, hastily kissing Draco again. He smiled into the kiss when Draco sighed contentedly and wound his arms around Harry's neck.

Just as Harry was about to deepen the kiss for the very first time, Ron opened the door and poked his head in. Draco broke the kiss, his cheeks pink and his lips red. Ron smirked and walked in. He was followed by the Ginny, Hermione and the twins.

"I see you've made up," Hermione said, moving closer to hug Draco and Harry. "I was worried about you."

"We're fine," Draco assured her.

"More than," Harry added with a grin.

Dobby popped into the room carrying a tea tray and a plate of biscuits. Before leaving, he turned his knowing gaze on Harry and Draco. "Dobby told you," he said slyly. He popped away again with a mischievous wink.

Harry laughed and sat down on his bed. Draco made himself comfortable with his head on Harry's lap. His face lit up when he spotted the stuffed dragon. "Lumos," Draco laughed softly. "You still have him."

"I love that dragon," Harry replied. "It's the first gift you ever gave me. I keep it here on my bed."

"I keep Martin on my bed," Draco said with a grin.

"Who's Martin?" Ron asked.

"That's my dragon," Draco replied, running his fingers down the dragon's belly.

"You named a stuffed dragon Martin?" Ron snorted.

"Shut up," Draco retorted, rolling his eyes. He returned to resting his head on Harry's lap. hugging Lumos to his chest.

Harry's fingers stroked through Draco's hair, sending a shiver of pleasure down the blond's spine. After several long moments of this, Draco sat up and set the dragon aside to cup Harry's face in both hands. Uncaring of their audience, Draco kissed Harry sweetly. "I'm so happy to be yours Harry," Draco murmured softly.

"Gross," Ron complained. The twins laughed heartily and Ginny chucked a biscuit at Ron's head.


	26. Year Five: Part One

"Soul mates," Blaise laughed, shaking his head. "Well, I'm very happy for you. I should have know that something completely ridiculous was going on." His smile fell. "Draco gave us quite a scare."

Harry nodded solemnly, hating that Draco had been in so much pain and then suffered through a seizure. Hopefully such traumatizing events were behind them.

They were sitting in a compartment of the Howarts Express with Vince and Greg. Draco, Ron and Hermione had all been made prefects and so they were meeting with the other prefects before patrolling the train. Harry would have liked to sit with Draco curled up next to him, but he'd have to wait until they got to their dorms later.

Harry had been made the Slytherin Quidditch Captain. He was looking forward to getting the team together for practice. It would be nice to do something normal for once.

Draco stepped into the compartment and offered Harry a sweet smile. He steadied himself against the rattling sway of the train car by pressing one hand against the door frame."I can't stay," he said apologetically. "I just wanted to see you."

Vince and Greg exchanged a look before getting up moving to stand in front of the door, preventing anyone from seeing inside. Delighted, Draco stepped closer to Harry for a quick kiss. "I don't like missing this time with you," he complained, gently brushing the tip of his nose against Harry's cheekbone.

"We'll have the whole school year, like always," Harry reminded him. "Only this time, I can snog you when nobody is looking."

Draco giggled, kissing Harry once more before sliding past Vince and Greg and continuing down the aisle. Blaise watched him go, his eyebrows raised. "That was weird," Blaise noted.

"What?" Harry asked, relaxing in his seat again.

"Draco, was..." Blaise shook his head. "He was sweet. Like, really sweet. I didn't realize he was so affectionate. I never thought he'd be such a sap."

"Well, it's a new relationship," Harry said, smiling fondly. "And, we're both really happy."

"That's great Harry," Vince offered.

"Maybe Draco will be less grumpy when he helps with our homework," Greg suggested hopefully.

"It's still Draco," Blaise snorted, rolling his eyes.

Harry grinned. "Did I miss anything interesting last term?" he asked.

For a moment, the other three Slytherins considered this. Then Vince said "Hermione caught Rita Skeeter with a glass jar."

Harry looked baffled. "Is that a metaphor-"

"No, that's what happened," Blaise laughed. "Skeeter was a beetle at the time. She's an unregistered animagus. Pansy and Hermione figured it out."

"Wow. So, where is Skeeter now?"

"She's still in the damn jar," Blaise cackled. "Hermione's teaching her a lesson. Don't you worry, there are air holes in the jar," he added, waving away Harry look of mild concern.

"That is... hilarious," Harry admitted, grinning. He paused looking out the train window for a moment. He wasn't sure he wanted to ask his next question, but he really needed to know. "Will you tell me how Draco was after I left?"

Blaise's smile fell. "It was pretty awful," Blaise said uncomfortably. "When he got back from the hospital wing, he told me what happened... He looked completely devastated. After that, he wouldn't talk to me anymore. He didn't speak to anyone. Except for McGonagall. He met with her a few times." He shifted in his seat, stretching his long legs. "He did a lot of crying. He also seemed to be in pain but, he wouldn't speak. He walked with me. Ate with me... sort of. He seems like a totally different person now."

"I feel horrible about it," Harry said sadly.

"Hey, it's over now," Blaise said, reaching out to pat Harry's knee. "You apologized and now he's disgustingly happy. That's the part that matters. Just don't do it again," he said, clear warning in his tone. "Don't leave him behind. Don't push him away. You hold on to Draco and let both of you be happy. You both deserve that chance. No matter what the future holds."

Harry smiled. "Thanks," he murmured.

When the train stopped, Harry eagerly followed his friends out. Draco was at his side in a flash, brushing one finger over Harry's wrist as they boarded the carriages that would take them to the castle.

When they got to their tables in the Great Hall, Harry looked up at the Head table. He had been so preoccupied thinking about horcruxes, occlumency and his adorable soul mate that he hadn't thought to ask about the next Defense professor. He did notice that Professor Grubbly-Plank was seated at the table. She'd taken over Care of Magical Creatures once or twice in the past when Hagrid couldn't be there. Harry wondered where Hagrid was.

Draco made a sound of displeasure. "What's that pink thing?" he asked, looking toward the teachers with narrowed eyes.

Blaise huffed a laugh. "That's a lady," he murmured with a smirk, careful to keep his voice down. "I know you're gay, but surely you recognize what women look like."

Draco wrinkled his nose. "She looks like a toad," he decided. "And she's wearing far too much pink. It hurts my eyes."

Harry hummed, cocking his head to one side. "She does sort of look like a toad." A seventh year nearby choked on a laugh.

Once the new first years were sorted, Dumbledore stood to make his welcome speech. Unfortunately, the pink toad woman made a little coughing sound before moving to stand in front of all the students. For a moment, Dumbledore looked shocked by the interruption, and then he sat down and looked at her expectantly. McGonagall and Snape looked as if they'd very much like to hex the woman.

Harry listened with growing unease as the woman, Professor Delores Umbridge apparently, addressed the students. It seemed that she was from the Ministry of Magic and had specific ideas about how Hogwarts should be run.

"What's she on about?" Vince asked as Umbridge returned to her seat.

"The Ministry just stuck its ugly toad face into Hogwarts business," Draco sneered, his happy sweetness from earlier all but forgotten.

"The Ministry has never had a say in who taught here," Harry said, frowning. "There's no way Dumbledore hired... that," he nodded toward Umbridge.

"I heard that he couldn't find someone to take the position," Draco said quietly. "So the Ministry filled it."

"I don't see that working out in our favor," Blaise muttered, reaching for the nearest platter when the food appeared.

After dinner, Draco was obliged to help get the first years to the Slytherin common room. Harry took his time leaving the Great Hall, allowing the first years to file past him. When a few of them stopped to stare at him, he waved sheepishly.

"Hey Harry!" Neville called, slipping through the crowd and smiling when he reached Harry. "Hi Blaise."

"Hello Neville," Blaise greeted. "Did you have a nice summer?"

"Not bad," Neville shrugged. "Gran spent a lot of time complaining about my grades."

"You ought to join our study group," Blaise said. "We've all been doing really well in class."

"Maybe I will," Neville replied, looking pleased. "I'm really good with Herbology if anyone needs help with that."

"And that makes a specialtist for every class," Blaise noted with an approving nod. "We'd be glad to have you."

"Thanks," Neville said happily. He turned to Harry apprehensively. "I just wanted to see how you're doing Harry. I know last year was awful. Of course, it's none of my business and you can tell me to sod off," he rambled hastily.

"It's fine Neville," Harry muttered. "I appreciate your concern."

"I believe you," Neville said earnestly. "If you say you-know-who is back, he's back. I'm with you Harry."

Harry blinked in surprise. He couldn't think of what to say. He was grateful for the support and touched that Neville had gone out of his way to speak to Harry. He'd spent the summer spotting articles in the prophet that suggested that Harry and Dumbledore were either completely mental or outrageous liars. Draco had "accidentally" set the newspaper on fire when he spotted one of the articles. Sirius had thought it was hilarious.

"Thank you Neville," Blaise said, draping an arm across Harry's shoulders. "Harry's grateful, but a little overwhelmed."

"Thanks Neville," Harry said, offering Neville a smile. Neville nodded, sparing a little wave for Vince and Greg before hurrying away.

Blaise ushered Harry toward the dungeons, with Vincent and Greg following along. "Are you alright?" Blaise asked quietly.

"Just a bit... tense," Harry admitted reluctantly. "There's so much going on. I kept hoping to have a normal year, but I don't think it'll happen. I've gotten a few dirty looks today. Nobody wants to believe me."

"The people that matter most believe you," Blaise retorted. "You've got the Order of the Phoenix at your back and you've got us."

Draco met them in the common room, his eyes scanning Harry swiftly. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

"I'm alright," Harry responded. "Just glad to be back here."

They made their way toward their dorm, greeting familiar faces along the way. Pansy had run over to press a quick kiss to each boy's cheek with a request to hang out the next day.

Harry flopped gracelessly onto his bed with a sigh. Draco shook his head, reaching out to poke Harry's stomach. Harry squirmed and batted his hand away.

Draco sat down on the bed. "I've got a surprise for you," he informed Harry.

"What?" Harry asked curiously, turning his head to look at the blond.

"I'm in the process of becoming an animagus," Draco announced, smiling proudly.

Harry jerked upright. "That's brilliant!" he enthused. "How far have you gotten?"

"I drank the potion already," Draco replied. "Now I'm just waiting on a proper lightning storm."

"What?!" Harry cried incredulously. "What about the mandrake leaf? You have to keep it in your mouth for a month."

"Of course."

"How did you manage to hide that when you kiss Harry every chance you get?" Blaise asked, amused. "You'd think Harry would notice."

"I just had to keep his tongue out of my mouth," Draco retorted, smirking when Harry made a choking sound. "But I'm done with that now, so feel free to use your tongue Harry."

Harry wondered if his face could catch fire from the heat of his blush. Vince and Greg were wheezing and cackling. Blaise sighed dramatically, shaking his head at Draco.

HP~DM

Classes began the next day and Harry was glad for it. It was hard to go without using magic during the summer. He'd learned so many great new spells from Snape, and he was eager to learn more. If his magic had been changing to adapt to Draco's, Harry wanted to be certain that he still had complete control over it.

In Transfiguration, the fifth years were learning vanishing spells. Harry listened to McGonagall's instructions before focusing on the snail that sat on his desk. He pointed his wand and muttered the spell. Nothing happened. Frowning, Harry tried again.

"Very well done," McGonagall praised walking toward the desk. Harry's snail was nowhere to be seen.

Encouraged by Harry's progress, Draco did the spell again. His snail vanished too.

"You have remarkable control of your magic," McGonagall noted, smiling slightly at the two boys. "Each of you practice with another snail."

By the end of class, the only other student to vanish their snail was Hermione. Harry was pleased to be ahead of the class. It would allow him more time to work on other things.

Harry began to pay careful attention to his spell work. He could feel the flow of magic in his body. It seemed strange that he'd never noticed it before. Sure there was warmth in his fingers as it grasped his wand. But the faint caress of magic through his entire body was odd. It flared and surged as Harry cast spells. Even more interesting was the way the magic now seemed to hum gently when Harry and Draco were in close contact.

The first two days of class went by rather pleasantly, but Harry was dreading his first Defense class. But at least the Gryffindors and Slytherins would be together for it. They stepped into the Defense classroom and quickly took their seats.

"Wands away," Umbridge said in a high girlish voice. She flicked her wand to distribute a book to each student. Hermione immediately opened hers and began looking through it. "Now, your previous instruction in this subject has been very uneven. But, you will now benefit from a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes, dear?" she added when Hermione raised her hand.

"There is nothing in here about using defensive spells," Hermione said, frowning slightly.

"Using spells?" Umbridge asked, astonished. "I can't think of a reason you'd need to use spells in my classroom."

"We're not gonna use magic?" Ron asked incredulously.

Umbridge sighed. "You'll be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk free environment," she said, in a tone that was probably meant to be soothing. "The Ministry feels that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations. And that is what school is all about."

"Theory isn't useful in the real world," Harry argued. "How does that prepare us for what's out there?"

"There is nothing out there," Umbridge said lightly. "Who do you imagine would want to harm children such as yourselves?"

Draco flinched. He knew what was coming.

"Oh, I don't know," Harry replied sarcastically. "Maybe Lord Voldemort."

The class went silent and still, aside from Draco's quiet grown and Blaise's face palm.

Umbridge's eyes flashed in anger before she looked around and resumed her sickly sweet persona. "Let me make this quite plain," she said, her voice shaking only slightly. "You've heard reports that a certain dark wizard has returned. This is a lie."

"It's not a lie," Harry snapped. "I saw him. I fought him!"

"Detention, Mr. Potter," Umbridge snapped.

Harry opened his mouth but stopped when Draco grabbed his arm and shook his head minutely. Harry scowled but didn't speak again.

The remainder of class was spent reading from their textbook in silence.

"What were you thinking?" Hermione hissed once they'd left the classroom.

Harry glared at her. "She was calling me a liar," Harry growled.

"She's from the ministry," Hermione reminded him.

"Obviously," Harry snorted, folding his arms over his chest petulantly. "This class is completely useless if we can't learn to do these spells. This isn't the time to hinder our education."

Hermione sighed and nodded. "We have to be able to defend ourselves," Hermione muttered. "And pass our OWLs."

They walked down the hall together, considering their plight. "We don't have time to mess about with this," Blaise said. "I say we do it ourselves."

"What?" Vince asked.

Blaise looked around hastily, leaning in closer to his friends. "We learn defensive magic ourselves. Harry, you are the best with defense. I think you should teach us," Blaise said quietly.

"I'm not a teacher," Harry said, looking startled by the suggestion.

"We've got to learn mate," Ron said quietly. "We need to be ready to fight with you."

"And maybe we could invite some other students," Hermione suggested.

"What for?" Ron asked incredulously.

"If the worst should happen," Hermione said anxiously, "we can't leave them defenseless."

Harry sighed heavily. This was a lot of pressure. He really hadn't wanted that sort of attention.

"Look, say you'll lead the group and we'll handle the logistics," Blaise said, gesturing between himself and Hermione. "We'll find a safe place to work and identify which students would be safe to join."

"Right," Hermione agreed with a nod. "If the Ministry is going to interfere with our education, I don't think they'll stand for this."

Harry hesitated, biting his lip. "I'll be with you," Draco murmured. "Whatever you need."

"Alright," Harry said, his shoulders slumping in resignation.

Pleased with themselves, Blaise and Hermione continued down the hallway, whispering to each other.

That evening, Harry made his way to Professor Umbridge's office. He blinked in surprise when she ushered him inside. Her office was decorated in various shades of light pink. There were decorative plates mounted on the wall that had fuzzy kittens on them. Umbridge's desk was perfectly neat and tidy with a tea service set up on one side.

Harry sat down at the small desk that sat near the door and looked at the professor expectantly. She placed a sheet of parchment and a quill in front of him. The nib of the quill was alarmingly sharp.

"You'll be copying lines for me," Umbridge said sweetly. "I want you to write 'I must not tell lies,'"

"How many times?" he asked through angrily clenched teeth.

"As many as it takes for the message to sink in," Umbridge answered with a smile that made Harry's stomach turn.

"You haven't given me ink," Harry reminded her.

"You won't need it," she responded dismissively, sitting down at her own desk and pouring herself a cup of tea.

Harry scowled but picked up the quill without further comment. He began to write but paused at a sudden sharp pain in his left hand. He glanced at the top of his hand and gasped quietly. His hand was bleeding. The words that he'd written down had been carved into his skin. He looked at the paper and saw that the words were gleaming wetly in red. His own blood. Horrified, he swallowed hard and resumed writing.

HP~HP

Draco gasped and jerked his left hand away from his book and cradled it against his chest. "What the hell?" he breathed, wincing as the pain continued.

"What's wrong?" Blaise asked.

"My hand," Draco bit out. "It really hurts."

Luckily, the Slytherin common room was mostly empty. Most students had gone on to the dorm rooms. Draco, Blaise, Vince and Greg had stayed to wait for Harry. They'd all agreed the detention with Umbridge was likely to be a nightmare.

Blaise inspected Draco's hand, noting that Draco was still tensing with the pain. "It looks fine," Blaise said uncertainly.

"It feels like it's being cut open," Draco replied, whimpering as more pain lashed through his hand. "What is she doing to him?"

"You think this is from Umbridge doing something to Harry?" Blaise asked quietly. "Do we need to go get him?"

"We can't," Draco replied, his eyes watering. "That hag can't know about us. She'll question how we knew that Harry was hurt. He'll be alright for a little while." Draco hated it though. He couldn't stand the thought of Harry being in pain.

For an hour, Blaise, Vince and Greg tried to distract Draco from the pain and worry. Finally, the pain lessened to a burning sort of ache.

When Harry came in, Draco rushed toward him. He hugged Harry tightly before pulling back to gently grasp Harry's bleeding hand. "What did she do?" he asked sharply.

"It was the quill she had me use to copy lines," Harry said, wincing a little. "It was really sharp. When I wrote on the parchment, it used my blood and cut my hand open to do it."

"She used a blood quill?" Blaise asked incredulously. "That's just..." He floundered, searching for a word to describe how repulsive such a thing was.

"You felt it, didn't you?" Harry asked, eyeing Draco with concern.

"I did," Draco confirmed. "I was so worried."

"I'm sorry," Harry muttered. "I hate that you were in pain. I should have kept my mouth shut in her class."

"The only person to blame is Umbridge," Draco said firmly. "Now, come on. We'll get you cleaned up."

Harry sat down on his bed once they got to their room and Draco hurried into the bathroom. When Draco returned, he was holding a bowl full of warm water and a flannel. He got the flannel wet and sat down next to Harry.

Draco cradled Harry's left hand and carefully wiped away the blood. He froze when it was clean enough to see what was written there. "That bitch," Draco growled.

The other three crowded around the bed to look down at Harry's wounded hand. "Sweet Salazar," Blaise groaned. "That woman is evil."

"And she won't get away with this," Draco said, using a charm to summon a little jar. He opened it and dipped one finger inside to scoop out a bit of the salve. He carefully dabbed it over the wound before using another spell to conjure white bandages. He wrapped Harry's hand neatly, scowling darkly the whole time.

"What should we do?" Vince asked worriedly.

"I don't know yet, but I'll think of something," Draco said.

They all changed for bed but Draco moved to Harry's bed instead of his own. He stretched out comfortably on his back and coaxed Harry into snuggling against his side. Draco carefully held Harry's wounded hand against his chest, his fingers gently caressing Harry's.

Harry's chest felt oddly tight with emotion. He tilted his head back to offer a little smile. Draco responded by lowering his head to kiss Harry tenderly.

Blaise smiled slightly as he glanced at Harry and Draco. He got into his own bed and turned down the lights with a flick of his wand. In the morning, they would decide how to deal with Umbridge.

HP~HP

Minerva was furious. When Draco had informed her of what Harry's detention had been, she had demanded to see Harry's hand. The sight had only increased her rage. She was so angry that she completely ignored the fact that Draco had called Umbridge a toad faced harpy.

Naturally, Minerva had instantly confronted Umbridge. But, Umbridge seemed completely unfazed and had spouted off about not standing for disloyalty to the Ministry.

It seemed that Professor Umbridge could do as she saw fit for the time being. Within days she'd been named High Inquisitor and declared that she'd be inspecting the other teachers to ascertain if they were fit to hold their position at the school.

Draco refused to accept that there was nothing they could do. He had no intention of letting Umbridge get away with hurting Harry. When he presented the problem to Pansy in the library, she had a beautifully simplistic suggestion.

"You should tell your father," she said with a smirk.

"Why would my father care?" Draco scoffed.

"Well, make it sound as if you're afraid for your safety," Pansy responded with a little shrug. "Besides, it'll look good if he defends the students of Hogwarts. You know better than anyone how he is about appearances."

"That's actually a good idea," Draco mused.

"Your tone of surprise offends me."

"Thanks Pans," Draco said with a grin. He went back to the table they'd been using and tapped on the book Harry was reading. "We've got to meet with Snape," he said quietly.

"Right," Harry said, closing his book. He hastily packed up his things and picked up his bag. "I'll see you later," he told his other friends, before following Draco out.

They made their way to Snape's office, hurrying inside when he opened the door. "I trust that you've both stayed out of trouble," Snape drawled as he closed the door behind them.

"Yes sir," Harry said with a little nod.

"If her idea of punishment wasn't so heinous I'd say that I'd prefer for you to make her miserable," Snape admitted.

Draco grinned. "I plan to," he said simply.

Snape opened his mouth to object and then shook his head. "I don't want to know," he said. He quickly launched into an explanation of the difference between Occlumency and Legilimensy. Both boys listened carefully, knowing that this was going to be difficult.

It was a rather unpleasant experience. Both boys had a difficult time calming their thoughts and controlling their emotions as Snape repeatedly invaded their minds.

"Alright, take a moment to calm yourselves," Snape instructed. "You both have impressive control of your magic. See if you can control your mind the same way. Potter, if you can resist the Imperius curse, you can do this."

Draco turned to watch as Harry took in a calming breath. He remained perfectly still for a long moment before giving a slight nod. Draco bit his lip as Snape muttered "Legilimens."

Snape and Harry looked as if they were just staring creepily at each other. Draco hastily suppressed his urge to laugh at that thought.

Finally, Snape blinked and smirked. "Much better," he said with a nod.

"He did it?" Draco asked excitedly. "How?"

"I had to focus on my magic first," Harry explained, suddenly looking exhausted. "Then used my magic to protect my memories."

"Very effectively," Snape added ruefully, rubbing at his aching temples. "I think that's enough for today. We'll pick this up again tomorrow. Tonight, work on clearing your mind before you go to bed."

Harry and Draco nodded and thanked their professor as they stood up. They were both quite tired now.

Snape frowned to himself as he watched his students go. He was going to need to take a potion to relieve his pounding headache. He hadn't expected Harry's magic to slam down on his mental intrusion as it had. Perhaps this would be easier for the boys to learn than Snape had expected. It was as if Harry's magic had merely been awaiting a command.

If Snape had his way, Draco and Harry would be formidable indeed.


	27. Year Five: Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this chapter is going to usher in some big changes. I would love to hear what you think of this chapter.

Draco carefully tied his final letter to the leg of the owl in front of him. He gave the bird one last stroke over its feathers before sending it off. He watched as it swept through the sky, gliding over the Forbidden Forest and out of sight. There was no turning back now. His modification to Pansy's plan was going to cause an uproar. But, Umbridge was horrible and couldn't be allowed to torture students. Feeling pleased with himself, he left the owlery in search of his boyfriend.

He found Harry near the library chatting with their usual group, plus Neville. "There you are," Harry greeted with a smile. "Neville found the perfect place for us to work. We've been spreading the word so we can meet there in an hour."

"Well done Neville," Draco said, pleased. "Where is it?"

"I can show you," Neville offered.

They followed Neville through the castle, climbing staircases and marching through long hallways. When the reached the seventh floor, Neville stopped in front of a blank wall across from a tapestry that showed Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls to dance ballet. Neville began to pace in front of the wall, his face tense with concentration. After his third pass, a large door appeared. Neville twisted the handle and pulled at the heavy door. Blaise hurried forward to help, earning a grateful smile from Neville.

The room inside was quite large. It was nice and open with a padded floor, cushions to sit on and several practice dummies that looked a bit like masked death eaters. There was also a pair of bookshelves in one corner. Hermione walked straight toward them to examine their contents.

"What is this place?" Draco asked, looking around in awe.

"The Room of Requirement," Neville replied. "Or the Come and Go Room. You think about what you need while you pace in front of the wall. When the door appears, the room inside answers your request."

"We'll just skip right over the fact that it's creepy for this room to know what you're thinking," Blaise commented. Neville laughed.

"This is perfect," Harry said, pulling the Marauder's map out of his back pocket. "Alright, let's start directing people in here. I see the twins heading up this corridor now." Ron gave a thumbs up and stepped outside to guide people in.

Soon, there were almost forty students gathered in the room. Each house was represented, though Gryffindor outnumbered the other houses. Harry was a little surprised to see Adrian, Pansy, Daphne and Millicent standing together near the entrance. They were eyeing the other students warily.

"I can't believe they actually came," Harry murmured.

"I had to be careful with who I invited," Draco told him quietly, reaching back to stroke along Harry's lower back. "A group like this could be seen as a stand against the Dark Lord just because you're leading it."

"How did you know that they would be alright?" Harry asked, trying to lean into the caress without making it obvious to everyone else.

Draco bit back a smile, sliding his hand up Harry's spine before stroking over his shoulder blades. "Pansy supports you," he said. "Obviously a lot of the Slytherins know about the Dark Lord's return, but not everyone wants to follow him. Some of them were really shaken up by Diggory's death. Pansy has this creepy way of knowing everything about everybody, so she knew who was safe to invite. There are a few others, but we couldn't be certain."

"I guess we'll just have to trust her judgement for now," Harry shrugged.

Hermione set about gathering everyone to stand in a loose circle. Once she was satisfied, she impatiently waved Harry and Draco closer. Once they had joined the circle, Hermione looked around at everyone. "Alright, clearly Umbridge is going to be nothing but a hindrance," she said. "We need to be able to use spells. Especially if we're going to defend ourselves against V-Voldemort."

"How can we be sure that you-know-who is back?" Seamus asked.

"Maybe Harry can tell us how Cedric died," Michael Corner said.

Harry stiffened. "I'm not going to talk about Cedric," he snapped. He turned his body so that he was facing Draco and Hermione. "I'm not doing this if they're here because they think I'm some sort of freak," he hissed.

"Harry doesn't have to talk about Cedric," Ron said sharply, scowling at Michael. "That would be painful for everyone. So if that's what you're waiting for, clear out. If you want to learn defensive magic, shut up and listen to Harry."

There was silence as everyone looked at one another. Nobody moved toward the door. Hermione gave Harry an encouraging nod.

Harry sighed in resignation and then straightened his posture. "Alright then," he said awkwardly. "We're going to work on the spells that Umbridge won't teach us. You'll be able to pass your exams and you'll be able to defend yourself. We'll start with Expelliarmus."

"What?" Michael cried incredulously. "That's first year stuff. It's useless."

"It's the spell I used against Voldemort," Harry responded quietly. This statement was met with stunned silence. Harry hadn't said much about his fight with Voldemort to even his closest friends. "I know the spell is pretty basic, but it's a good spell. It's easy to use and it can give you a few extra seconds. It saved my life. So yes, that's where we're starting," he concluded, his tone cool and firm.

"Let's pair off then," Hermione suggested, patting Harry's arm.

The students selected partners and began taking turns disarming one another. Harry, Draco and Hermione moved around the room to check everyone's progress. Blaise had paired up with Neville for the exercise, walking the Gryffindor through the spell patiently. Ron was partnered with Adrien in an attempt to make the other students more comfortable with the inclusion of the Slytherins.

"Great job!" Harry praised when the wand flew from Blaise's hand.

Neville looked startled and apologetic, but Blaise was smiling. "That was good," Blaise nodded. "Next time, don't hesitate. In this case, I want you to disarm me." Neville relaxed, hurrying to retrieve the wand so they could try again.

They all practiced a few more defensive spells and a simple shield charm until everyone was exhausted. Aside from some skeptical glaring, it had been a rather peaceful meeting. They all sat down to rest before heading to dinner, feeling rather pleased with themselves.

"This was brilliant," Ginny said, leaning back on her hands and looking around at everyone.

Beside her, Luna Lovegood was looking around as well, but she seemed to be looking just over everybody's head. "This room has a lot Wrackspurts in it," she noted in her airy voice. "Especially around them," she added, pointing to Draco and Harry.

Draco squinted at Luna before eyeing the space over his own head suspiciously. Harry grinned at the sight before looking away, only to catch Ginny's eye. She winked at him, obviously amused.

"So are we all keen to continue?" Hermione asked, before Luna could make Draco feel even more uncomfortable. The blond Slytherin was patting at his hair self-consciously, as if he suspected that the wrackspurts were defiling is pristine locks

"I think this was a great idea," Parvati Patil said cheerfully. "I was never going to pass my Defense OWL with just theory."

"And Umbridge is the worst," Fred commented emphatically.

"We're up for anything that she wouldn't want us to do," George added.

"We need a name for our group," Ernie McMillan said. "Make it official."

"We could call it the Defense Association," Dean suggested.

"The D.A. for short," Seamus added.

"Except we could have that stand for Dumbledore's Army," Ginny said with a grin.

"Please no," Daphne said, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

"Yes, that's far to obvious," Pansy agreed. "It takes the meaning out of this if we make it about Dumbledore. Besides, if anything, we're Harry's Army."

Harry blanched. "If we call it anything even resembling something as ridiculous as "Harry's Army, I will quit." Harry just hoped that they'd take his threat seriously despite the giggles that filled the room.

"So, something less obvious," Blaise said, "but still meaningful to us."

The room filled with murmurs as everyone discussed potential names. Fred and George threw out increasingly ridiculous names while Lee Jordan cackled in delight. Hermione rolled her eyes but refrained from lecturing them when Fred winked at her, causing her to blush.

"Harry, you and Draco can conjure a patronus, correct?" Adrian asked. He nodded to himself when Harry confirmed. "And they take the form of-" He looked at Harry expectantly.

"A wolf for each of us," Draco supplied.

"Both of you?" Daphne asked, surprised.

"Yes," Harry said, blushing slightly.

"Well, you two are clearly the leaders here," Adrien went on. "You both have a wolf patronus... So that sort of makes us your pack."

"The Wolf Pack," Ron mused with a grin. "Sounds dangerous."

"Sounds ridiculous," Pansy corrected with an eye roll.

"I think it's sort of fitting," Hermione said, a smirk pulling at her lips.

"All in favor of being a pack?" Blaise asked, looking around. Most of the group cheered in response. He nodded, satisfied. "Good. The idea is to grow and learn as a team. We protect our own, no matter the house affiliation." The others nodded eagerly.

Harry checked the Marauders Map and sent the students away in small groups. Dinner would be starting soon. The last to leave were Harry's core group of friends. They left the Room of Requirement feeling good about their first meeting.

"I did some reading about wolves," Hermione mentioned as she walked down a flight of stairs. "I was curious after Draco and Harry learned the patronus charm."

"Of course you were," Blaise chuckled. "Did you find anything interesting?"

"I did," she nodded. "Such as, in our pack, Harry and Draco would be the Alpha pair. The rest of our group here would be betas," she said, gesturing vaguely to the present group.

"Us too?" Greg asked in surprise as gestured between himself and Vince.

"What are betas?" Harry asked.

"Second in command to the Alphas," Hermione replied.

"Then yes," Harry said, smiling at the two hulking Slytherins.

"But, we're not as clever as you lot," Vince objected sheepishly.

"First of all, your grades have improved," Hermione argued. "Secondly, that's not how a wolf pack works. You don't have to be the smartest."

"In our pack, you just outrank the others," Draco said with a grin.

"The whole pack raises and protects the pups," Hermione went on. She looked over at Draco and Harry with another smirk. "It's usually just the Alpha pair that's able to rear a litter of pups to maturity."

Draco stumbled and nearly fell down the stairs.

"And in this bizarre scenario, the pups would be-"

"I'd say anyone under third year," Hermione replied with a little shrug. "There's just two second years in the group now, but I suppose that number could grow."

"I don't think I'm ready for pups," Draco mumbled, his face flushing.

"It's just a metaphor," Harry responded with a laugh, taking the opportunity to reach out and take Draco's hand.

"Somebody should tell Hermione that," Draco grumbled. "She's enjoying this far too much." He shot Hermione a petulant look. "You're a terrible beta."

Hermione just giggled.

Just as they were reaching the Great Hall, Harry paused and shot a worried look at Draco. "I, er- I forgot to mention that I have detention tonight," he said, looking guilty.

"What?" Draco yelped. "Why?"

"I might have been a bit... rude with Umbridge earlier," Harry admitted sheepishly. "She's so set on making me out to be a liar."

Draco sighed in aggravation. Their friends shot him a sympathetic look before hurrying into the Great Hall. "You're not making this easy Harry," he complained. "Would it kill you to hold your tongue? I know she's awful, but you're giving her reason to punish you."

Harry ducked his head. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I wasn't thinking. She just makes me so angry."

Draco nudged Harry forward, urging him to move toward the Slytherin table. They ate their dinner quietly, both dreading the upcoming detention. It would likely be painful for both of them. Harry felt like the worst boyfriend of all time.

At the end of the meal, Harry made his way to Umbridge's office while Draco returned to the Slytherin dorms with Blaise, Vince and Greg. They each sprawled out on their beds to work on homework, but they were all tense. When the pain started, Draco cried out, suddenly jerking his left hand in toward his chest.

Vince and Greg stood at the foot of Draco's bed, looking down at him helplessly. Blaise had approached the bed and nudged Draco aside in order to sit down. "Come on Draco," Blaise coaxed quietly. "Breathe through it."

Draco whimpered as his hand seared with white hot pain. He honestly didn't know how Harry could stand it. It had to be so much worse to actually be cutting his skin open. Harry would actually be losing blood.

After half an hour, Blaise suddenly stood up. "We can't let this go on," he said worriedly. "It's worse than last time and it's gone on too long." He pulled Draco up and led him toward the door. Vince and Greg followed quickly.

Ignoring the people that remained in the common room, Blaise guided Draco out into the hall and straight to Professor Snape's office. He banged on the door impatiently, his heart racing as Draco sagged a bit against him. When Snape opened the door, Blaise pulled Draco a little closer. "You've got to put a stop to this," Blaise insisted, beginning to feel frantic. "Draco's in a lot of pain, and Harry's likely in worse shape. We can't let her do this."

"Come with me," Snape growled, quickly marching off down the hallway.

After what felt like ages, they got to Umbridge's office. Vince and Greg settled Draco to rest between them while Snape rapped on the door waving the students away from the door.

Umbridge cracked the door open, startled to see the Potions Master. "Severus?" she questioned. She gasped when he pointed his wand directly at her chest. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, taking a step back.

Snape stalked inside, gratified that she was backing away and eyeing his wand nervously. He turned his head to see Harry sitting at a small desk, his left hand bloody and his face alarmingly pale. "Potter!" he snapped. "Let's go."

"Mr. Potter's detention is not yet finished," Umbridge said stiffly.

"Yes it is," Snape retorted coldly. Seeing Harry sway on his feet, he reached out and caught the boy's arm and began maneuvering him out to the hall.

"You have no right to interfere!" Delores objected shrilly.

"Watch me," the potions master snarled. He kept a firm hold of Harry as he closed the office door after one last threatening look at Umbridge.

Harry and Draco slammed into each other like giant magnets, nearly toppling over in their desperation to get close. Vince and Greg steadied them, practically holding the two smaller boys up as they embraced. "They're both shaking," Vince noted anxiously.

"To my office," Snape muttered. "Quickly."

They moved as quickly as they could with Harry and Draco stumbling along and clinging to each other. Once inside his own office, Snape waved his wand at a chair and transfigured it into a small couch. Harry and Draco were coaxed into sitting down while Snape poured a yellowish fluid into a bowl.

The bowl was set on a small table in front of Harry and Snape guiding Harry to soak his wounded hand in it. "This is essence of murtlap," Snape explained. "It will help with the pain." He straightened and looked at the other three Slytherins. "Return to your dorms. These two will be fine to rest here while I speak with the Headmaster."

A moment later, Harry and Draco were alone in the office. Draco's grip on Harry's torso lessened and he leaned back a bit. Harry still looked rather pale, but wasn't shaking any more.

Harry reached up with his uninjured hand to gently wipe away Draco's tears. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright," Draco answered, cupping Harry's face in his hands and using his thumbs to stroke Harry's cheek bones. "I was so worried. That woman is a psychopath."

Unable to resist, Draco leaned forward and pressed their lips together briefly. He drew in a shaky breath against Harry's mouth before kissing him again, his fingers sliding up into Harry's hair.

Harry broke the kiss with an apologetic smile. They couldn't get carried away while sitting in Snape's office. "We're fine now," Harry murmured, wrapping his free arm around Draco. "Just relax with me." Draco complied by slumping into Harry's side and resting his forehead against Harry's neck. Harry stroked Draco's back tenderly while Draco's fingers curled into Harry's jumper.

When Snape returned, he checked Harry's hand before looking the two Slytherins over. "Go back to your dorms now," he said. "You won't have to worry about Umbridge any more tonight."

"Thank you for stopping her," Harry said quietly.

"Just stay away from her as much as you can Potter," Snape answered warily. "If you are assigned another detention, you are to inform me at once."

Harry nodded and steered Draco out of the office and back to their common room.

HP~HP

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy, you are to report to the Headmaster's office," Snape said sternly, shortly before lunch the next day.

It was a Saturday so they didn't have classes. And Harry couldn't think of why they'd been summoned to the Headmaster's office unless it had to do with his shortened detention from the night before. He felt certain that Umbridge wasn't going to take that lying down.

Bidding their friends a swift goodbye, they followed Snape to the Headmaster's office, exchanging looks of uncertainty. Once they were inside the office, they were surprised to see Cornelius Fudge sitting in a chair and looking quite annoyed. Professor Umbridge stood next to the Minister's chair, offering Draco and Harry a smile that was somehow menacing.

On the other side of the office were a group of people that Harry really hadn't expected. Sirius, Remus and McGonagall were standing close together along with Arthur and Molly Weasley. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy stood near them but Lucius was very obviously trying to avoiding looking at the others. A few others stood behind them, their expressions grave. Harry thought he recognized Neville's grandmother in the crowd.

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk looking perfectly calm.

"Can we get on with this?" Fudge asked impatiently. "I have many important matters to attend to. What is the purpose of this meeting?"

"Well, I believe these parents have some concerns," Dumbledore said, waving to the parents.

"Our children are concerned," Arthur began, "that they are receiving a sub-standard education when it comes to Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Children cannot be expected to know what is best," Umbridge said sweetly. "I am following a Ministry prescribed course."

"We need more than just theory," Harry said calmly. "We have to be able to use defense spells."

"That's just foolish," Umbridge frowned. "Do you expect to be attacked in my classroom."

"Yes."

Everyone startled at this pronouncement, though Dumbledore looked amused.

"Mr. Potter-"

"In first year, I was nearly killed by a teacher than had Voldemort's facing poking out the back of his head," Harry reasoned. "In second year, that moron Lockhart tried to obliviate me and my friends. In third year-" Harry paused and looked back at Remus.

Remus cringed. "Sorry," he muttered. Sirius coughed to cover a little laugh.

"In fourth year, a death eater used polyjuice potion to replace a professor at the school," Harry said with a little shrug. "I've just come to expect that someone's going to attack me."

"And then there's this," Draco added helpfully, gently taking Harry's left hand and turning it to show the parents.

Remus lurched forward and inspected the hand closely. "Oh my..." he said faintly.

Lucius took a step forward to peer at Harry's hand with a frown. "You used a blood quill on students?" he queried, turning to look at Umbridge. His gaze shifted to his son. "Has she forced you to use it?" he demanded.

"Not yet," Draco said, careful to look far more anxious than he felt. "But Harry's certainly not the only one. Everyone is terrified of her."

"If students would simply behave-" Umbridge began, only to squeak and shrink back when Sirius got in her face.

"Nothing excuses the torture of students," he snarled.

Alarmed, McGonagall grabbed Sirius and pulled him back. She glanced over to see Remus seething as well, and wondered if she'd need to restrain both of them.

"It could hardly be considered torture," Umbridge replied, smoothing down her hair. "It's negative reinforcement."

Molly made an angry sound but remained still when Arthur rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I interrupted such a detention last night," Snape drawled. "Mr. Potter was pale and his hand was covered in his own blood. The pain was enough that he was light-headed."

"I don't want that woman anywhere near our son," Narcissa said indignantly, glaring at Lucius. The other parents had started muttering angrily as well.

"Really, Minister Fudge," Lucius chided. "This is unacceptable. If she cannot be trusted to behave appropriately around children, than she should not be here."

"I'm sure we can work this out," Fudge said, nervously.

"What are you going to do then?" Molly demanded. "I have four children in this school and they're obviously not safe."

"Well, certainly no more blood quills," Fudge said, giving Umbridge a pointed look.

"That is not good enough," Lucius spat harshly. "I demand that you remove this woman. Otherwise I shall be forced to remove my son from this institution and withdraw all financial support from the Ministry."

Well that certainly did the trick. Fudge blanched and shook his head hastily. "I understand completely Lucius," he blurted out. "I will, of course, relieve Delores of her teaching duties immediately. You will wait for me in my office," he added to Umbridge.

Umbridge nodded tersely and walked toward the door. She paused to spare a nasty smile for Harry and Draco and then left.

"If I hurry, I can still go bite her," Sirius muttered, turning toward the door. Snape snorted and Remus caught hold of Sirius' arm to keep him in place.

"I apologise for this inconvenience," Fudge said, looking very apologetic indeed. "I will send in a different professor immediately."

"See that you do," Lucius said sternly. He turned to his son. "Draco, a word."

"Yes Father," Draco said, following his parents out.

Fudge excused himself meekly and hurried away as well. The other parents, aside from the Weasleys, filed out as well.

Remus and Sirius rushed to Harry, hugging him before looking over his scarred hand. "I'm so sorry Pup," Remus said mournfully. "That must have hurt terribly."

"It was pretty bad," Harry admitted quietly.

"Thank you for stopping her," Remus said, looking over at Snape. "How did you know?"

"Mr. Zabini brought Draco to my office last night in significant pain," Snape explained.

"Draco could feel it?" Molly asked, looking horrified.

"The nature of their bond has made them rather attuned to one another," Dumbledore said. "The pain is a definite drawback."

"Poor dears," Molly mused. "It must be distressing to feel your partner's pain so acutely."

"I hate that he was hurting because of me," Harry murmured, his eyes focused on the ground with shame.

"It's alright," Sirius said softly, drawing Harry in for another hug. "Everything is okay Pup. Umbridge is gone and you two will continue looking out for each other."

Harry nodded, though he still felt pretty miserable. Draco hadn't complained at all. He'd obviously been in a lot of pain but he'd only sought to snuggle into Harry's side, but that was to comfort Harry as much as himself.

The office door opened again and Draco returned looking concerned. He gray eyes sought out Harry's gaze. He opened his arms and hastily wrapped Harry in a warm embrace. "You have to stop," Draco muttered, running a soothing hand down Harry's back. "I'm just fine. And I would always want to know if you're in danger or in pain. I'm sure you feel the same way."

"Of course," Harry nodded pulling back a bit to look at Draco's face. "But you were hurting because I was stupid and got another detention."

"You've got a bit of a temper," Draco admitted, smiling fondly. "I'm not angry with you. We'll work on that together like we do everything else. But please let go of this. Let's just move forward from here."

Harry nodded again relaxing slightly. He hummed when Draco kissed him softly. They both blushed when Snape cleared his throat, reminding them off their audience.

"You have a truly beautiful relationship," Molly said, dabbing at her eyes.

"Thank you," Harry responded, pulling out of the embrace but keeping one arm wrapped around Draco's waist.

"We don't know who the Minister will send to replace Umbridge," Dumbledore sighed. "But, at least we don't have to worry about her anymore. Your intervention was appreciated Mr. Malfoy."

"What do you mean?" Snape asked.

"I wrote letters to my parents, Harry's parents and a few other families," Draco said, looking smug. "I thought it would look good to have several outraged parents present. And then my Father would feel compelled to flaunt his influence. He's rather predictable sometimes," he added with a little shrug.

The adults chuckled. "Well, here's hoping that the next professor is an improvement," Sirius muttered. "I'd say the standard is pretty low at this point."

HP~HP

"How are you getting worse at this?" Snape asked in annoyance.

Harry groaned clutching at his head. "I've been a little preoccupied," he muttered.

"You're seeing a door that's in the Department Mysteries," Snape said. "It's almost certain to be due to the fact that the Dark Lord is fixating on getting to the prophecy."

"You've got to block it out Harry," Draco said anxiously.

"I don't know how," Harry said tiredly. "I'm seeing this stuff in my dreams."

Snape pursed his lips in thought. Draco was doing well, but Harry was struggling with Occlumency. Perhaps fatigue and stress was hindering his ability to protect his own mind.

"What if I help?" Draco suggested. He glanced at Snape and then Harry, holding his hands out.

Harry allowed Draco to take his hands. They closed their eyes and Draco focused his magic on Harry.

Snape watched closely, his eyes widening at the gentle hum of magic that filled the room. Harry gasped softly but, other than that neither teen made a sound.

After a few minutes, Draco's eyes fluttered opened. "Do you feel that?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," Harry breathed, his eyes opening to favor Draco with an affectionate look.

"Good," Draco responded. "Try again."

They turned and faced Snape resolutely. "Legilimens," Snape murmured, focusing on Harry.

For a moment, he was sure that Harry had failed again. And then he felt an odd sort of shove against his consciousness as he attempted to reach Harry's memories. He strengthened the spell only to be firmly repelled from Harry's mind. Snape blinked, feeling a little disoriented.

"What did you do?" Snape asked warily.

"I guided his mind to defend itself," Draco replied. "I showed him how to lift a barrier. Once he could do that, he understood how to repel an intruder." He frowned. "I think the horcrux was trying to prevent him from protecting himself."

Snape nodded slowly. "Then until it's fully under Mr. Potter's control, you will need to assist him in shielding his mind," he told Draco. "Just... be careful. That is all for today."

Draco and Harry left to meet with their friends in the library. They were planning for the next meeting with the Pack. No matter who the new Defense teacher was going to be, the Wolves would be ready.

Snape watched them go, thinking that if those two ever decided to go dark, the wizarding world would be in trouble. The fact that Draco was able to sense the horcrux at all was certainly interesting.


	28. Year Five: Part Three

"This has to be a really terrible joke," Draco said, staring at the staff table in dismay. Harry and Blaise followed his gaze, freezing at the sight of their new professor.

Lucius Malfoy was seated at the table, looking bored as he talked with Snape. He sipped from a teacup before glancing up to see his son. He offered a slight nod before turning back to Snape.

How could his father not tell him? When they'd spoken outside the headmaster's office, his father had only questioned if he knew anything about the Order. Draco was a little put out that his own father had wanted to use him for information but couldn't be bothered to mention that he was considering taking up the Defense position himself. Draco was clever enough to know that it was a calculated move. There was no way that Minister Fudge's first thought had been to hire Lucius Malfoy as a teacher. No, if was Lucius was teaching, it was because he sought after the job for a less than noble purpose.

"Oh Merlin," Draco groaned, automatically straightening his posture and moving toward the Slytherin table. "This is a disaster."

"Calm down," Harry soothed quietly. "It doesn't change our plans."

"My father is a Death Eater," Draco reminded him morosely.

"So, we just need to be extra careful to keep our activities secret," Blaise said reasonably, nudging the plate of sausages toward Draco. "Hopefully Gryffindors understand discretion."

"Even setting all that aside, my Father is a professor," Draco grumbled. "This is so embarrassing."

"Remus was our teacher one year," Harry said helpfully.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Remus didn't bring albino peacocks to the World Cup," he replied.

Blaise snorted. "That's true," he chuckled. "And Remus is pretty great. Why couldn't they just have him come back to teach?"

"Remus and Sirius are getting married during Christmas break," Harry explained. "Remus shouldn't have to worry about teaching right now. Let's just see how it goes," he added, nudging Draco gently.

At the end of breakfast, Lucius made his way toward Draco. He offered a short, dignified nod to the students. "Mr. Potter, a pleasure to see you," he drawled.

"And you," Harry replied politely. "I appreciate that you came to Hogwarts and helped get rid of Umbridge. Thank you sir."

"I was pleased to be of service," Mr. Malfoy nodded. "That woman had no business interacting with children. I only wish that we could have stopped her before she'd mutilated your hand."

"It could be worse," Harry sighed, rubbing at his scarred hand uncomfortably. "I'm just grateful that she's gone."

"Indeed," Malfoy agreed. "Well, I have a class to teach. Run along now."

"Yes sir," Harry said.

"Yes Father," Draco murmured.

As they walked to class, Draco frowned thoughtfully. "This complicates things a little," he muttered. "My father can't see me associating with the Weasleys or Hermione. He'd be furious."

"We'll manage," Blaise assured him. "Just stay calm and everything will be fine.

HP~DM

They got through their classes without incident. The fifth years didn't have Defense until Thursday, but they began hearing things about the class from students in different years. Professor Malfoy was said to be better than Umbridge, but that wasn't saying much. He was at least letting the students use magic, so there was that.

That evening Draco and Harry met with Snape for more training. The spells had grown steadily more difficult, but they never shied away from the work.

"I wonder if I could help you perform wandless magic," Snape mused.

"I thought that wandless magic was nearly impossible to control," Draco commented. "It's usually only ever done by accident."

"That's true," Snape agreed. "But the two of you have excellent control. You seem to be strongly in touch with your magical cores. I doubt you could manage to be wandless all the time, but I think we could manage proficiency in a few spells. That ability could save you if you're disarmed."

Harry and Draco exchanged a hopeful look. "We could try," Harry said.

"Good," Snape said with a nod. "First we'll work on non-verbal spells. They require a bit more focus than verbal. Your classmates won't be working on those until next year."

He moved to stand in front of the two boys. "Non-verbal spells will offer you an advantage during a duel," he drawled. "You won't be warning your opponent of your intention by shouting a spell. Now, focus on the spell to disarm me. Don't speak," he added sharply when Harry opened his mouth. "Just think. Focus on the words of your spell and what the spell is going to do."

Harry frowned, pointing his wand at the professor. He thought the word expelliarmus in his head over and over, silently willing Snape's wand to fly across the room.

"You're tensing," Snape chided. "Calm your mind. You don't have to make this so urgent. It's your magic. You have control. That wand is just a conduit. The power in every spell is yours."

Harry drew in a steadying breath, casting a glance at Draco. The blond gave an encouraging nod, his eyes bright with anticipation.

Harry closed his eyes, focusing on the flow of magic. He didn't need the words. He opened his eyes and lifted his wand again. Without opening his lips he told his magic to toss Snape's wand away, willed his magic to reach out and disarm the professor.

Snape's wand was wrenched from his hand and thrown against the wall behind him. Draco cheered excitedly and Snape smirked in approval. "It needs work," Snape commented. "Obviously an enemy isn't going to stand around waiting for you to get yourself sorted. But, that was an admirable first try."

Harry beamed, stepping aside to watch Draco give it a try. It took Draco a bit longer to manage it, but he did eventually succeed. He promptly threw his head back and laughed.

"That was brilliant Draco," Harry praised, grinning as Draco tried to suppress a fit of breathless giggles. He could hardly blame Draco for his mirth. It was exhilarating to accomplish such a feat.

"Indeed," Snape agreed, bending down to scoop up his wand. "Now, before you go, I thought I'd show you this." He walked over to a table and picked up a book that neither of the boys had noticed. "At your last occlumency lesson, you suggested that you thought the horcrux was fighting against Harry," he said, looking at Draco.

Draco nodded slowly. "I could feel it," he said, shuddering at the memory. "It was like this... dark presence lurking around the edges."

"I thought the fact that you could sense the horcrux was significant," Snape said, looking down at the old, worn tome cradled in his hands. "If you can get that close, perhaps there's a way to force it out."

Harry's eyes lit up with hope, but Draco looked worried. "I did some reading on Horcruxes over the summer," Draco admitted. "It seemed wise, considering..." He reached out and grasped Harry's hand. "In every case, the object that contained the bit of soul was destroyed. Destroying the horcrux means killing Harry."

"There has to be a way," Snape growled. "I'm sure of it." He sighed heavily. "But the methods of destroying a horcrux are fatal to humans as well."

"How do you destroy a horcrux?" Harry asked quietly.

"Fiendfyre would work," Draco replied. "And bas-" He cut himself off, his eyes wide. "Oh my-"

"What?" Snape asked impatiently.

"Basilisk venom," Draco said, stunned. "Harry had a basilisk fang go through his arm in second year. It would have killed him if Fawkes hadn't been there." He clapped his hands over his mouth, overwhelmed.

"But it clearly didnt destroy the horcrux," Harry noted. "Does that mean that the venom doesn't work?"

"Perhaps the phoenix tears stopped the venom from finishing the job," Snape said.

"It could have been weakened though," Draco said, his voice quaking. "It still leaves us with the task of removing it, but maybe it'll be easier."

"I need to speak with the headmaster," Snape muttered. He handed the book to Draco. "Read through this and we'll speak about it later. I need to find away to determine if the venom weakened the fragment of Voldemort's soul. We're going to sort this out," he said firmly, meeting Harry's gaze.

Harry nodded and then allowed Draco to lead him away. They walked through the halls together in silence, pondering the conversation with the potions master. Draco couldn't wait to read through the book. There had to be a way to free Harry from Voldemort's twisted soul.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked, interrupting Draco's thoughts. "Our common room is the other direction."

"I know," Draco replied. "We're just going to step outside for a moment."

As the stepped through the front doors, they blinked against the wind that rushed against their faces. Dark clouds loomed ominously, hiding the stars from view. Suddenly, Harry understood why they had gone outside. He turned to Draco with wide eyes.

Draco stood still, his gaze focused on the sky, waiting. A flash of lightning lit up his pale face and he smiled. "Amato animo animato animagus," he incanted, his voice clear and steady. He closed his eyes.

Harry watched in awe as Draco's body shifted and changed. Harry gasped as he was soon standing beside a large animal with white fur.

Draco had become a wolf.

"You're beautiful," Harry said reverently, running his fingers through soft, thick fur. "You're a wolf, Draco." The wolf turned his head to gaze up at Harry with lovely silvery eyes. Then it tipped its head back and let out a long, ringing howl.

Draco returned to human form and turned to look at Harry, panting slightly. His gray eyes were wide and, for one wild moment, Harry thought that Draco was going to pounce on him. Instead, Draco hastily seized Harry's hand and pulled him back inside the castle as the rain started to fall in earnest. They moved quickly and silently, with Harry wandering what the hurry was. Draco was clearly a bit worked up about something.

They burst into the common room, startling a group of students that were lounging in front of the fire. Without pausing, Draco grabbed Harry's arm and urged him to continue on to their dorm room. Blaise watched them go with a frown.

Once they were in the room, Draco released Harry and took a deep breath. "Are you alright?" Harry asked.

"Fine," Draco replied, waving dismissively while a delighted smile spread across his face. "I'm just really excited. I can't believe I did it."

"Congratulations," Harry grinned. "But I don't get why we practically ran here."

Draco bit his lip, his cheeks flushing a bit. He stepped closer, loosely curling his arms behind Harry's neck. "I just wanted to do this," he murmured, pressing his lips against Harry's.

Harry accepted the kiss happily, despite being a little baffled. It wasn't as if this was completely new for them. Except- Oh. Wait a minute...

Harry thought his heart might explode when he felt the gentle brush of Draco's tongue against his lower lip. This part was definitely new. For the first time, Harry parted his lips and slid his arms around Draco's waist as the blond's tongue slipped into his mouth.

Harry marveled at the warmth of Draco's mouth. He hummed in pleasure as he allowed his own tongue to meet Draco's in a languid stroke. Why in Merlin's name had they never done this before?

Draco broke the kiss, his eyes fluttering open. His breath came out in excited little pants as he gazed at his soul mate, his best friend.

Harry lifted one hand to caress Draco's face, his heart in his throat. How he adored that sweet face. "I love you," Harry said softly.

Draco's breath caught. His pulse raced and his chest felt oddly tight and warm. He felt as if he'd been waiting to hear those words for an eternity. "I love you too," Draco murmured, pulling Harry into another kiss. There was barely any hesitation as their tongues brushed together this time.

When they parted, Draco rested his head on Harry's shoulder. "Was that alright?" he asked, sounding adorably shy and uncertain.

"It was wonderful," Harry assured him, holding Draco close. "You make me so happy Draco."

"I want you to know that I'd do anything to protect you," Draco said, relaxing into Harry's hold. He shifted to nuzzle Harry's neck. "We're going to get through all this together. Nobody is going to keep me from being at your side."

Harry smiled, gently running his hands over Draco's back. He didn't have words to describe the way he felt in that moment. Harry suspected that he'd always loved Draco, and had only recently fully understood what he felt. From that first day at the park, they'd been tangled up in one another. Draco was more precious to Harry than Harry knew how to express.

The door banged open, shattering the tender moment, and Blaise walked in with Vince and Greg. "Everything alright?" Blaise asked, looking Harry and Draco over quickly.

"Yes," Harry said, loosening his grip on Draco but not letting go. "We had a really eventful day."

"What happened?" Blaise asked, pulling off his shoes and sitting down on his bed.

Harry explained their meeting with Snape and their discussion about the horcrux. He pulled the book that Snape had given them out of his school bag and handed it to Blaise. Blaise glanced through the book briefly while nodding as Harry talked.

"And Draco officially became an animagus," Harty said proudly.

Blaise grinned. "Great! What form do you take?"

Draco transformed into the white wolf. Vince and Greg applauded, looking deeply impressed. "Bloody hell," Blaise gasped. "It's just like your patronus."

Harry transformed as well, his feline form seeming smaller than ever. Orion looked up at the wolf and meowed.

The wolf nudged at the black cat gently and then picked the cat up by the scruff of his neck. Orion yowled at suddenly being in the jaws of the much larger animal. He stilled when Draco growled softly. The wolf jumped onto Harry's bed and gently set Orion down on the bedding.

Blaise laughed as Orion gently batted at Draco's nose with one paw. He smiled and rolled his eyes in exasperation as the black cat stretched and curled up against the lovely white fur. "You two are ridiculous," he commented, petting the wolf's head and then stroking the cat.

As Blaise prepared for bed, he realized that the wolf and cat had fallen asleep, curled together as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

HP~DM

"I would like you to split into pairs," Professor Malfoy drawled. "We'll be working on shield charms today." He flicked his wand lazily and all of the desks floated to the perimeter of the room, leaving space for the students to spread out.

Draco and Harry chose an area near the front of the room, waiting for further instruction. While Malfoy Senior looked the other direction, Draco directed a flirty wink at Harry.

"You will take turns attempting to disarm your partner," Malfoy went on, his tone bored. "Do try to avoid blowing anyone up," he added, casting a slight sneer in Neville's direction. Once he'd instructed them on how to produce the shield charm, he waved a hand for the students to begin practicing.

It didn't take long for the Professor's attention to be drawn to Draco and Harry. "Draco, you can hardly expect for Mr. Potter to learn to produce a decent shield if you're not going to put any effort into your own spell," he chided his son.

Draco frowned. "There's nothing wrong with my spell," Draco argued. "Harry's shield is very good."

Malfoy pursed his lips, clearly skeptical. He nudged his son aside to face Harry himself. "May I?" he inquired, raising one eyebrow in challenge.

"Of course, sir," Harry responded. He really didn't like the idea of allowing Lucius Malfoy to point a wand at him, but didn't really have a choice. Luckily, several of his wolves were standing in the room with them. He could feel them watching over him, wary of their new professor.

Harry hastily cast his charm just before the professor fired off his own spell. He smiled as he saw and felt the red flash of Malfoy's spell smack against the shield charm and bounce away harmlessly.

"Impressive indeed," Malfoy acknowledged. He turned his expectant gaze on his son. "Now you, Draco." He stepped back and motioned for Harry to proceed.

Draco forced himself to ignore his father's presence for the moment. When Harry shifted slightly, Draco knew to pull up his shield charm. It was just in time to deflect Harry's spell.

Professor Malfoy's expression turned a bit smug. "Well done Draco," he nodded. "You and Mr. Potter may take a seat and read through chapter four in your book." He moved on observe the other students.

By the end of the class, most of the students had managed a decent shield charm. Including Neville.

Lucius watched Draco and Harry as the left the classroom together. He'd known that Draco was doing quite well in his classes, but he hadn't anticipated such a level of proficiency. And their magic... He'd put a bit more force than was strictly necessary behind his own spell, and Harry Potter's shield had held strong. He was pleased that his heir was so talented, but abilities of the boy who lived were worrisome.

He made a mental note to have a little chat with Severus Snape.

HP~DM

"That's really good Dennis," Harry said, causing the second year Gryffindor to beam at him. Harry and Draco had pulled aside the second and third years to work with them while their betas were supervising the more advanced spellwork of the older students.

The six younger students had looked oddly pleased when Ron had slipped and referred to them as Harry and Draco's pups. It seemed that everyone was taking the concept of a pack seriously. They'd all listened intently while Hermione had explained the dynamics of a wolf pack and several had been happy with the idea. The younger students in particular now seemed intent on endearing themselves to Harry and Draco.

"Alright, are you ready for another spell?" Draco asked.

"Why can't we do what they're doing?" a second year Hufflepuff named Ben asked, pointing at where Ginny was making one of the practice dummies explode.

"You're not ready for that spell yet," Draco said. "You have to work up to those types of spells. You can end up hurting yourself if you push yourself to try a spell that's too advanced. You'll get there," he added gently when Ben pouted.

They taught the younger students a few more spells, patiently correcting pronunciations and wand movements. But eventually the pups began to look rather tired. Draco rewarded their hard work by transforming. In an instant, the white wolf coaxed the pups into settling next to him on the floor to rest while the other students finished.

Harry shot an adoring look at Draco before moving to help the older students finish up. "Really great work today," Harry said sincerely, looking around at everyone. "I'm so pleased with your progress. Now, I need a few volunteers to escort the pups back to the common rooms." He glanced over his shoulder to see that Ben had curled up into the wolf's side. The wolf was licking at the child's hair, apparently content to succumb to the instinct to groom the pups. Instead of being bothered, Ben seemed to growing drowsy, his wide blue eyes blinking slowly.

"That's adorable, but so weird," Blaise commented, making Neville and Ron laugh.

"He's a good Alpha," Hermione said, smiling slightly.

"Alright, let's send the pups off before Draco grooms them all to sleep," Harry said, his tone affectionate. He checked the Marauder's Map before sending the pups away with older members of their houses.

Draco returned to his human form, getting to his feet gracefully and stretching. He stepped to Harry's side, bidding their pack members a good night as they left in small groups.

"So much for not wanting pups," Harry teased, giving Draco a playful nudge.

Draco flushed. "It's our job to take care of them," he responded defensively.

"I'm only joking Draco," Harry chuckled. "I'm glad they're so comfortable with us. You're really great with them."

"I can't seem to help myself," Draco muttered sheepishly. He thought it might be his wolf form creating these protective, nurturing sort of impulses. He supposed that it would be nice if it aided their pack in other ways. With Voldemort back, Draco needed every advantage he could get.

Harry gathered Draco close for a soft kiss. "I love you," he murmured, feeling warm and content.

"I love you too," Draco answered, using his fingers to gently comb through Harry's hair.

"Oh wow," Ron said, interrupting the sweet moment.

The couple turned to see their friends staring at them with wide eyes. "What?" Draco snapped, sliding his hands down to rest against Harry's chest.

"I didn't think you were there yet," Blaise commented. "It took you so long to get together in the first place."

"Nah," Harry said with a little shrug and a smile. "We've been together all along. We just didn't know it."

Draco gave him an unimpressed look. "I will break up with you for such sappy statements," he warned.

"You're so mean," Harry laughed.

"And yet you can't resist me," Draco countered with a saucy wink.

"Ugh... They're disgusting," Ron complained. "Let's get going before they start planning to 'rear more pups'." He guffawed when Draco and Harry blushed and looked away.

"Wait, we can't go yet," Hermione said, reaching into her bag and pulling out the book from Snape. Harry had passed it off to her to read through. "We need to talk about this."

"Alright," Harry agreed, sitting down on the padded floor. The others sat down as well, suddenly tense. "What do you think?"

"Well, I think that Draco may have been right," Hermione said carefully. "There's a good chance that the basilisk venom weakened the horcrux." She turned to Draco. "You said that the horcrux seemed to be fighting against Harry's ability to shield his mind... How did you get past it?"

Draco frowned thoughtfully. "I sort of... held it back with my magic," he said haltingly. "It's hard to explain. It's not like I could cast a spell. But-" He paused, glancing at Harry. "I've learned to recognize what Harry's soul feels like. When I sensed the horcrux, I just... willed it to be pushed aside. Sorry if that's not particularly clear," he added ruefully.

"It's fine," Hermione assured him. "I think the fact that you could exert any control at all is a good sign. There are rituals mentioned in here-"

"Those rituals sound really risky," Harry interjected anxiously. "It would be dangerous for anyone to try them."

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but refrained. "Well, we should discuss all this with Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape anyway," she said lightly.

"Let's go on to bed," Blaise said, getting to his feet. "There's nothing more to be done tonight. Why don't we all meet with Snape tomorrow after dinner? We can see what he's thinking about all this."

The others agreed and they all left the Room of Requirement somberly. Draco's mind was busy considering the possibility of a ritual that could rid Harry of Voldemort's horcrux. He planned to send an owl to his mother, requesting a few useful books.

HP~DM

"Your father has questioned me regarding your... magical aptitude," Snape informed Draco the next evening. They'd all crowded into Snape's office together and Dumbledore had joined them.

"Well, that's just great," Draco muttered sarcastically. "We really don't need him paying a lot of attention to my magic."

"Or Harry's," Hermione added.

"I don't think it's a matter of concern just yet," Snape replied. "I don't think he'd ever guess at the truth. I would think that he's most concerned that Potter may be stronger than anticipated. But, he has no reason to believe that there's anything odd going on. If anything, this may deter him from targeting Potter here at the school."

Draco nodded stiffly, taking a seat next to Harry.

"Now, we have been discussing the situation with the horcrux," Snape began, sitting down behind his desk. "I trust that you've read the book I gave you."

"Harry and I read it," Draco said. "So did Blaise and Hermione."

"I summarized for Ron, Vince and Greg," Hermione added. "Sir, do you think we could use a ritual to remove the bit of you-know-who's soul?"

Snape and Dumbledore exchanged a quick look. "We think that it is a good possibility," Dumbledore admitted. "I think it would be possible to draw the soul fragment out and force it into another object."

"It's tricky, but we may be able to pull it off," Snape added.

"I could do it," Draco blurted out.

"What?" Harry yelped. "No! Draco, I can't let you do that."

"We can't leave that horcrux inside you," Draco snapped. He cupped Harry's face in his hands, forcing Harry to remain still. "Nobody will ever know your soul like I do, Harry. If there's a chance that I can save it, I will."

"I'm not willing to take that risk," Harry retorted, suddenly angry. "I won't risk you. Ever."

"It's not your decision to make," Draco said, scowling.

Harry turned to Dumbledore desperately. "Tell him he can't do this," he pleaded. "There must be something else we could do."

Dumbledore sighed quietly, eyeing Harry sympathetically. "Harry, I think that he's right," he admitted quietly. "The bond you share gives him a unique advantage. And trying something else could very well kill you."

"You can't be serious," Harry said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I couldn't live with myself if something happened to him."

"Potter," Snape said firmly, "we won't move forward with any ritual until we feel quite certain that Draco is ready. You have my word. Any preparation that can be done, will be attended to."

Harry's breath hitched as he considered Snape's words. "You won't let him sacrifice himself," he managed to say.

"Of course not," Snape replied calmly.

Harry finally relaxed slightly, nodding and rubbing at his temples. He squeezed his eyes shut when he felt Draco's hand begin to rub soothing circles on his back.

"Now that we have that settled, I think that you should probably tell us about your secret group," Dumbledore suggested.

So, much for the secret part of it.

"We were afraid of spending the school year without proper Defense lessons," Hermione explained, giving Harry time to calm himself. He looked a bit frazzled. "We knew Umbridge would interfere if she knew, so we met in secret with a few people from each house. Professor Malfoy is actually teaching us spells, but with the return of you-know-who, we thought that it was better to be cautious."

"We're the Wolf Pack," Ron said helpfully. "Harry and Draco are the Alpha pair and we're Betas. The little ones are Pups and the whole pack looks after them."

"The Pups love Draco and Harry," Blaise added with a smile. "It's actually sort of sweet."

"Truly remarkable," Dumbledore murmured admiringly. "It would be best to keep your organization hidden from Lucius Malfoy, but you have my support."

"And mine," Snape agreed, with a short nod.

"Thank you," Harry said, feeling steady enough to speak calmly.

Dumbledore smiled. "And now," he said, leaning forward slightly to eye Harry and Draco with interest, "I think I'd very much like to see your magic. Show me what you can do."


	29. Year Five: Part Four

By the time the first term came to an end, Harry and Draco had become proficient with the non-verbal spells. They'd learned an impressive number of spells from Snape, Dumbledore and McGonagall and the Wolf Pack had added a few members. Through all of this, Lucius Malfoy remained ignorant of his son's extra training and the existence of a secret defense group.

What Lucius did notice was how very talented that Harry seemed to be. It was a bit concerning, and he wasn't looking forward to bringing such a report to the Dark Lord. Voldemort didn't handle bad news very well and it generally wasn't pleasant for the messenger.

Harry was not happy to be separated from Draco for the holiday. He supposed that it was healthy for them to spend some time apart, but that didn't make it any easier. Harry feared for Draco's safety and hated that he wouldn't be able to protect him. But Harry tried to set those worried aside for the wedding.

Remus and Sirius hadn't wanted a large, elaborate wedding. With a war brewing on the horizon, they just wanted to enjoy their day with the people they were closest to. So, they'd planned to have a simple ceremony at the house followed by dinner. Then they just wanted to spend the remaining days of the holiday with Harry.

The small ceremony was beautiful and Harry was glad to see Remus and Sirius so very happy. After so many years of heartache, they were sharing the joy that should have been theirs all along. They'd both wept openly when Harry made a brief, awkward little speech and referred to them as his dads.

Ron had to deal with the mingled pleasure and embarrassment of Viktor visiting the Burrow at Christmas. The Weasley family was quite pleased with the Bulgarian's fondness for Ron. The twins delighted in teasing Ron relentlessly, leaving Ron flustered and irritable mess. Victor simply laughed fondly and entwined his fingers with Ron's, assuring the red head of his continued affection. For Ron, it was both mortifying and blissful.

It didn't take long for it to become obvious that Draco's holiday was going to be disappointing. His father was spending a great deal of time with his fellow death eaters, and any time spent at the manor was mostly spent in his study. He did speak to Draco some, but most conversations circled back to Lucius asking about Harry or the Order of the Phoenix. Draco didn't know much of anything about the Order, and he certainly had no intention of betraying Harry, so those conversations were rather brief.

Narcissa observed her son with a mixture of worry and pity. Draco seemed hurt by his father's repeated dismissals and she could see the anxiety on his face grow with each passing day.

The day after Christmas, Lucius left the manor once again. Narcissa sought out Draco, finding him reading a letter that was probably from Harry. He looked up from the parchment in his hand, tensing slightly when he met her gaze. She hated to see him so guarded around her.

"Draco will you talk to me?" she asked quietly.

"About what?" he asked, folding his letter up with a light blush on his cheeks.

"I want you to know that you can tell me anything," she said earnestly. "Anything at all. I love you and I just want you safe and happy. You know that, right?"

Draco nodded, grimacing slightly.

Narcissa hesitated, but ultimately she felt that it would be best to confront her concern head on. She just hoped that Draco would be open with her. "Darling, are you and Harry... together?" she asked haltingly. His silence and blush were quite telling. She sighed. "Why would you do this to yourself?" she asked him gently. "You know that there can't be a future for you."

Draco sat up straighter, irritation flitting across his face. "Yes there can," he said sharply. "And there is."

"Draco-"

"I love Harry," Draco said, his voice shaking. He met her gaze with eyes that pleaded for understanding. "I love him so much Mother. I always have." He swallowed hard. "He's my soul mate. There will never be anyone else for me."

"I think you're being a little dramatic," Narcissa said, though she looked a little shaken.

"It's true," Draco insisted quietly. Draco had spoken with Harry, Snape and Dumbledore about this. He hadn't wanted the responsibility of telling her all this, but it had been decided that it might be best to let his mother know what was going on. The time may come where she was needed. Draco just had to trust that her love for him would win out over pure blood tradition.

"Mother, do you know what a horcrux is?"

Narcissa looked startled at the question. "Where did you hear about such a thing?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice.

After insisting the room be warded against eavesdropping, Draco told her everything. Narcissa listened carefully, not interrupting at all despite the questions that tumbled through her mind.

When Draco was finished, he fell silent and looked down at his tightly clenched fists, a blush staining his cheeks. Baring his heart and his soul to his mother had been refreshing in some ways. But it was also rather embarrassing. Now that his relationship with Harry was exposed to her, Draco was afraid that she was suddenly far too aware. Would she be able to guess at the desires that had made themselves known in Draco's mind? Would she recognize the way he craved Harry's touch?

"Are you and Harry... intimate?" she asked, cringing a little and not sure that she actually wanted the answer.

Poor Draco wanted to crawl under a rock. Could this get any more mortifying? He abruptly brushed that aside because yes, it most certainly could.

"We- We're not ready for that yet," Draco responded, now refusing to make eye contact. "We haven't moved beyond... snogging," he admitted, hating to even use the word in front of his mother. He swallowed hard, pushing past his fear of her rejection. He couldn't turn back now. "I'm sorry if you're disappointed. Soul mates aren't always romantically involved but... I wouldn't give Harry up for anything."

Narcissa's cheeks were a little pink as she looked at her son's face. She was glad that they hadn't become intimate, but their relationship certainly sounded... intense. She knew that they still had the playful silliness of their childhood friendship. But along the way their bond had deepened into a love that went beyond reason. There was a maturity that had blossomed there, probably as a result of their souls being so entwined. Their relationship wouldn't be like those of other people their age.

She'd seen flashes of it in the past. Draco and Harry had grown out of chasing one another in the park, and youthful giggles had turned into glances full of affection. Draco had been restless and somber at the manor for a few years now. But with Harry, he seemed to come alive. The idea only frightened Narcissa more.

"Draco, I've only ever wanted what was best for you," Narcissa told him, her voice gentle. "Having you bound so closely to the Dark Lord's enemy does not seem like 'the best' to me... But, I think it's likely too late to object to it. I couldn't bear to break your heart, and separating the two of you most certainly would." She stood and moved to the window, looking out at the snow that lightly dusted the lawn, her lips pursed into an anxious frown.

"It's worrisome that you experience his pain and distress," she commented, turning her head to look at Draco again.

"That part is hard sometimes," Draco agreed. "But, I also get to feel the rest: his love, joy, amusement... It's not all the time, but in those moments I never want to be anywhere else. Mother, I-" He fell silent, tears filling his eyes, unable to articulate the emotions that burned through him like a cleansing fire. He throat felt tight, love and anxiety rippling through him.

Narcissa sat down next to Draco again, pressing a hand gently to his still pink face. "You really do love him, don't you?"

Draco met her gaze with tear-filled eyes. "More than my own life," Draco responded without hesitation, barely above a whisper.

"Then I will help you," Narcissa decided, enveloping him in a hug. She tenderly brushed his tears away before swiftly swiping at her own. "We'll save Harry's soul and help him survive."

"But Father-"

"You let me worry about your Father," she replied firmly. She hugged Draco tightly, hoping to reassure him. She'd gladly stand between Draco and Lucius to keep her only son safe.

Lucius Malfoy turned out to be less of an immediate problem. Unless you consider that he was the one that invited guests to the manor.

Draco was horrified when his father returned that evening with several death eaters and Lord Voldemort himself. Draco had known that Voldemort didn't look entirely human. But, the sight of him was worse than Draco imagined. His skin was bone white and he had slits for a nose. His red eyes were quite disturbing. He carried himself as if he belonged in the elite of society, despite the fact that he hadn't bothered wearing anything on his long, pale feet.

"The lovely Narcissa," Voldemort greeted, nodding to her.

"My Lord," she replied, dipping her head elegantly.

"And this must be young Draco," Voldemort went on.

Draco suddenly had the urge to vomit. He pushed the feeling away and greeted the Dark Lord with as much politeness as he could muster. To his horror, Voldemort stepped closer, eyeing him with interest. He just barely kept himself from flinching when Voldemort rested a hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be powerful," Voldemort murmured, looking over at Lucius. "He won't be a match for me, but he'll easily surpass many of the death eaters. His magical core is impressive."

Lucius looked as if he wasn't sure if he should be proud or nervous.

"I think we will bring you into the fold," Voldemort continued, looking directly at Draco now. "You can take the mark this summer. I believe I have an important task for you." He smiled cruelly, making Draco's insides freeze.

"Draco would be honored," Lucius spoke hastily. "Isn't that so, Draco?"

"Yes, sir," Draco responded stiffly.

"Good," Voldemort nodded. He looked around at his surroundings. "I believe this will be adequate for our needs. We can move our operation here in the coming months. Do not touch the boy, Greyback," he added abruptly, his tone bored.

Draco and Narcissa had been so distracted that they hadn't noticed Fenrir Greyback slinking along the wall. His yellow eyes glinted malevolently as he eyed Draco with a hungry stare.

"Giving me the boy would be a proper incentive for Malfoy," Greyback growled, his eyes drifting over Draco's form. "I won't kill him. He'd be like my play thing. Such a pretty boy."

"Not now!" Voldemort snapped impatiently.

Draco edged closer to his mother, very aware that Voldemort hadn't actually rejected the idea. Fenrir stopped his approach, but his gaze stayed on Draco.

HP~DM

Harry sat down with Remus and Sirius in a private room at the Hogshead in Hogsmead. The room was a little chilly, but Harry barely noticed. He got up to pace restlessly, occasionally looking out the window.

The door opened and two robed figures walked in, their hoods pulled up. Pale hands came up to pull the hoods back revealing Draco and Narcissa. Draco ran to Harry in an instant, his body trembling. Harry stumbled back into a wall, careful to keep hold of Draco.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked worriedly.

Draco shook his head slightly. "Just hold me for a moment," he whispered.

"Alright," Harry said, leaning his back against the wall and guiding Draco to snuggle close. "It's okay. Just relax now." The tremors that ran through Draco's slim frame made Harry rather anxious.

Narcissa stared at them with wide eyes before sitting down next to Remus. She tried to give the boys some privacy, but she couldn't help observing. Her eyes followed the tender way Harry petted Draco's hair and stroked down his back.

When Draco had calmed, he lifted his face to look at Harry. He sighed softly when Harry drew him in for a gentle kiss.

"Tell me what's wrong," Harry said, leading Draco to sit down. Remus helpfully transfigured the old chair into a small sofa. Draco sank into it gratefully, pulling Harry down as well. He immediately snuggled into Harry's side.

"The Dark Lord is going to be taking up residence at the manor," Narcissa said with a weary sigh. "We've had many unsavory visitors... One of them being Fenrir Greyback, who looks at Draco with far too much interest."

Remus flinched at the name. Greyback was the werewolf that had turned Remus as a child. It made his skin prickle unpleasantly at the thought of that sadistic monster preying on Draco.

"I'm going to be forced to take the dark mark," Draco said softly. He winced when Harry jerked in alarm.

"I can't let that happen," Harry said fiercely, cupping Draco's face. He pulled Draco in to rest against his shoulder, offering whatever comfort he could.

"What would you have us do?" Sirius asked, looking at Narcissa steadily. If she had reached out to them for a clandestine meeting, surely she already had a plan in motion.

Narcissa shot Draco an anxious look before turning back to her cousin. "I ask that you take him with you today," she murmured. "He'll return to Hogwarts with Harry. And when second term ends, if you will have him, he can stay with you."

Remus and Sirius stared at her in surprise. Draco pulled out of Harry's arms. "Mother I can't just leave you," he objected. "You won't be safe."

"Just do as I say Draco," she responded sharply, her voice shaking.

"Of course we'll take him," Sirius said with a little nod. "He'll be safe."

"And we'll make a plan for you," Remus added. He scowled when she opened her mouth to protest. "You need a safe haven as well. You and I will work out a plan. I know you want to protect your husband, but there's only so much you can do."

Narcissa nodded miserably, reaching into her pocket and pulling out Draco's school trunk that she'd shrunk with a spell. She handed it to her son before hugging him tightly. She pulled back to look him in the eye. "You study hard," she commanded. "You train as much as you can. You and Harry take care of each other." She kissed his forehead tenderly. "I love you my dragon."

Draco nodded, refusing to let his tears fall. His breath caught when his mother hugged Harry tightly.

"Take care of my son," she said softly

"I always will," Harry agreed solemnly.

Narcissa hugged Sirius and Remus briefly, before promising to stay in touch. She put her hood back up and hurried away.

Just a few moments later, Draco found himself in Harry's home. He felt a bit numb with shock. His mother had said that she'd requested a meeting with Sirius and Remus, but it never occurred to him that she'd send him away. It wasn't safe for him in his own home.

Draco's attention was caught when Harry cradled his face. "There you are," Harry murmured. "Why don't we rest for a little while?"

"We'll let you know when dinner's ready," Remus said, waving the boys up the stairs.

Harry led Draco up the stairs, keeping their fingers entwined. They walked into Harry's bedroom and automatically moved toward the bed. Draco still hadn't said a word, his eyes full of sadness.

Harry climbed onto the bed, guiding Draco to lay down with him. Draco stretched out nearly completely on top of him, nuzzling into Harry's neck. For a moment, there was silence. And then Draco's breathing hitched and the tears finally started to fall.

"It's going to be alright," Harry murmured, rubbing Draco's back soothingly. He whispered words of comfort and love, guiding Draco's face up so he could press soft kisses across his brow. Harry thought Draco was lovely even with the tears pouring down his face.

After a while, Draco's sobs quieted. He gave a shuddering sigh and closed his eyes, allowing Harry to soothe him into slumber. Harry drifted to sleep as well, grateful that at least Draco was safe in his arms.

Draco woke up two hours later, momentarily confused by his surroundings. He relaxed when he remembered that he'd fallen asleep in Harry's arms. He shifted so he wasn't squashing him so much, pressing against Harry's side. The movement caused Harry to stir and open his eyes.

"Hey," Harry greeted, rubbing at his eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked, rolling onto his side to face Draco.

Draco nodded, his fingers lightly stroking the front of Harry's jumper. His fingers curled into the fabric and he pulled lightly. Taking the hint, Harry brought their lips together. Draco pressed closer, entangling their legs as he deepened the kiss.

The intimacy of that moment made Draco feel more grounded. His chest was pressed firmly against Harry's and one arm was wrapped around Harry's waist. Harry's tongue was warm and slick and Draco was certain that he'd never tire of the feeling.

"Oh Merlin!" yelped Sirius from the doorway.

Draco and Harry broke their kiss to stare at Sirius in shock.

"Sorry!" Sirius blurted out. "Crap! I am so sorry. I didn't- Wow..."

"Relax," Harry laughed, his cheeks pink with embarrassment. "It's fine Sirius."

Sirius relaxed, recovering from his mortification quickly. He grinned mischievously. "If you two are willing to come up for air for a few moment, dinner is ready," he said with a smirk. He sobered a bit as he focused on Draco. "You alright Pup?" he asked.

Draco was warmed by the fact that Sirius called him Pup, like he did Harry. It made him feel safe and cared for. "I'll be alright," Draco said quietly. "It's hard knowing that I can't go home. And I'm afraid for my mother."

Sirius nodded sympathetically. "I know it's not the same, but you'll always have a home here if you need it," he said. "We'll do what we can to make you comfortable. And Remus sent a message to Snape, asking him to look out for your mum. For now, come get something to eat."

They went downstairs to find that Dumbledore and Snape were seated at the table with Minerva and Remus. Harry and Draco sat side by side, looking over the meal set on the table. There was roasted chicken, potatoes, green beans and fresh bread. The sweet aroma of treacle tart was drifting in from the kitchen.

"This looks delicious," Draco said softly.

"It was a team effort," Sirius chuckled. "Dobby is still complaining about it."

"We wanted you to feel welcome," Remus added.

"Thank you," Draco said, keeping his eyes on his empty plate.

Harry bit his lip and then reached for the serving dishes. He began piling food on Draco's plate. "I think you'll like this," Harry said lightly. "The chicken is always really good. Try not to make eye contact with Padfoot though. He eats like a dog." He smirked at Sirius affronted look.

"Watch it pup," Sirius said teasingly. "You regularly turn into an animal yourself."

"Cats are notoriously tidy," Minerva said, taking a dainty sip from her wine glass. Harry grinned at her while Snape rolled his eyes.

"You two watch it," Sirius threatened, though he was clearly enjoying myself. "I'll get out my secret stash of catnip and a camera."

Minerva cleared her throat primly and reached for the potatoes. Harry looked horrified by Sirius' suggestion. Draco looked between the two and then at Sirius. "You would get their feline forms... high?" he asked incredulously. "And then take pictures?"

Sirius snorted. "It would be stupid to get them high and not take pictures," he responded.

Remus choked on his tea in his struggle not to laugh. Dumbledore didn't bother restraining himself, choosing to laugh right in Minerva's face. Snape didn't laugh, but it was a near thing.

A reluctant grin made its way onto Draco's face. Harry felt himself sigh in relief at the sight. All the silliness didn't fix Draco's fractured family, but Harry would gladly do whatever Draco needed him to.

Snape departed right after dinner, assuring Draco that he'd be back around. He'd only been there to be an assurance for Draco. Snape and Sirius were still mildly hostile toward one another. Remus was far more welcoming, but it didn't really make it pleasant to remain in the house for extended periods of time.

Dumbledore seemed reluctant to leave once the meal was over. The reason soon became obvious.

Harry groaned when Sirius walked into the living room carrying a pouch of catnip from a muggle pet shop. "You're a horrible godfather Padfoot," Harry said, though he was laughing.

"Come on," Sirius said, giving Harry a little nudge. "I'm sure Blondie would find it entertaining."

Harry glanced at Minerva hopefully, but she was apparently pretending to be deaf. Heaving a sigh, Harry transformed.

Draco smiled, reaching out to stroke down Orion's back. Harry was delightfully shameless as a cat. He sprawled wherever he pleased, knocked objects off of shelves and demanded attention as if it was his birthright. Minerva seemed weirdly proud of that.

The black cat stretched languidly, yawning and exposing a mouth full of small pointy teeth. He turned and rubbed his head against Draco's leg. "My pretty kitty," Draco cooed, scratching behind the cat's ears.

"And now the fun begins," Sirius announced. He dumped the catnip onto the floor, spreading it out a bit with his fingers.

Orion pointedly ignored the catnip for several moments. He jumped into Draco's lap for more petting before trotting to look out the window, his ears flicking at every little sound.

"Get your furry arse over here," Sirius demanded.

Minerva smirked as Orion favored Sirius with a reproachful look. Orion started toward Sirius, but he took a path so meandering that Remus starting giggling at Sirius' huffs of frustration. Orion made figure eights around the legs of the coffee table, stopped to clean his paws and then pranced across the back of the couch. When he stopped to nuzzle Draco's hair, Sirius growled at him.

Orion jumped to the floor gracefully, finally stepping over to the pile of catnip. He lowered his head to sniff at it. For a moment, that was all he did. Just delicate little sniffs. And then he crouched down and began sniffing in earnest. He licked at the catnip, shaking his head and sneezing when some of the little bits got stuck in his nose.

Draco watched in fascination as Orion abruptly flopped onto his side and started rolling on the floor. He had bits of catnip stuck all over him. Remus tossed a soft toy mouse onto the floor and Orion attacked it with gusto. He rubbed his head on the mouse while curling inward to kick at it with his back feet.

"That is so weird," Draco chuckled. Sirius agreed with a nod, taking pictures with manic delight.

After a little while, Orion's frenzy came to an end. He sprawled on top of the catnip and closed his eyes blissfully. "Too stoned to move," Remus chortled, shaking his head fondly.

"Is he all right?" Draco asked.

"He's fine," Sirius said, waving off the concern. "It'll wear off. The pictures are going to be brilliant," he added, looking far too pleased with himself.

Orion didn't move.

"Poor thing," Draco chuckled, scooping up a hilariously limp Orion.

"He's not going to bother with changing back just yet," Minerva said, eyeing the lethargic feline. "You may as well get comfortable with him."

Draco sat down and allowed the cat to drape across his lap while Remus and Sirius smiled and cuddled together on the couch after the catnip had been cleared away. Draco's fingers stroked the soft black fur lovingly. If he couldn't be with his own family, at Harry's side was the only place for him.

HP~DM

Narcissa had carefully explained away Draco's absence by telling Lucius that she'd sent Draco to spend the remainder of the holiday with Blaise Zabini. When she commented that she didn't care to risk having Draco in the house with Greyback, Lucius had been relieved and accepted the explanation easily. Of course, things had only gotten worse when there was a massive prison break from Azkaban. The death eaters that had been imprisoned there had escaped and were now running loose. They had quickly returned to Voldemort's side. Draco had been sent away just in time.

As the second term began, Draco found it difficult to speak with his own father. So, he immersed himself in his studies in order to stay as busy as possible. If his father was willing to sacrifice him to Voldemort's insanity, then Draco wanted nothing to do with him. It was difficult and painful.

Classes continued and so did the extra lessons with Snape and the Wolf Pack. Harry was quite pleased with the progress that had been made. Most of the older wolves could now conjure a patronus and they'd all become rather good with stunners.

Quidditch was a welcome distraction from everything. Despite the added responsibility, Harry was enjoying being the Captain. His team was good and they accepted Harry's leadership readily. Every practice and game left Harry feeling tired but, somehow, refreshed.

Hagrid had finally returned to Hogwarts to resume his teaching duties, but he was sporting an alarming number of injuries. They didn't appear life threatening, but the rainbow of mottled colors on Hagrid's face was disconcerting. When asked about it, Hagrid had told them that he'd been to meet with the giants. They'd hoped to get the giants on the Order's side for the war that was sure to happen. Unfortunately, the Death Eaters had the same idea and the mission had been a bit disappointing. Beyond that, Hagrid seemed unwilling to talk and a bit antsy. It made the students uneasy.

One evening, they had an exciting breakthrough in Harry and Draco's training. Snape had them working on focusing the flow of their magic. Harry had been taking slow steady breaths, imagining his magic flowing like water over him. It was cool and calming under his skin.

Draco liked to visualize his magic as flames. It raced painlessly through his veins and danced on his fingertips. It was warm and bright, ready to snap out at Draco's will.

Draco opened his eyes and looked around the room intently. Gray eyes fell on a quill that rested on a desk. Determined, Draco stepped a little closer to the desk, reaching out with one hand. He urged his magic to spread from his outstretched fingers and seize the quill. For a long moment, nothing happened.

Draco's huffed a little, not willing to admit defeat. He pushed his magic further, soothing warmth filling him. And then the quill was zooming into his outstretched hand.

"Yes!" Harry cried jubilantly, punching the air excitedly.

"Your turn," Draco said, holding his hand out with the quill resting on his palm. Snape looked on with interest.

Harry focused on the ebb and flow of his magic. It trickled down his spine and swept into his arm. He pushed it out, his fingertips twitching slightly. The quill began to lift away from Draco's hand, levitating above their heads.

Harry looked at the quill in wonder. Curious, he pushed his magic out further and rotated his wrist slowly. The quill began to spin slowly but deliberately.

Draco could hardly contain his excitement. Eagerly redirecting his energy, he lifted his hand and made a forceful pushing motion. The quill flew across the room before fluttering to the ground.

"Very impressive indeed," Snape acknowledged with a tiny, rare smile. The smile faded just as quickly as it disappeared. "You must remember to be very careful. This requires a great deal of concentration. With as much power as you possess, you could injure someone with carelessness. If I find out that you are negligent when practicing wandless magic, I will make you suffer," he growled.

"Of course," Harry agreed quickly. "We'll be careful."

"We have pups relying on us," Draco added solemnly. "We can't afford to be careless."

Snape folded his arms over his chest, eyeing the two young men pensively. Their pack dynamic was just odd. But, here couldn't argue with their results. The wolves were doing quite well in their classes. Students that had been floundering were now getting better grades. Even Neville Longbottom's spellwork was showing improvement.

He had to admire their talent and hard work. He only hoped that they could be prepared for what came next. Getting rid of the horcrux inside Harry was beyond anything that they'd done so far. And Snape planned to make sure they got through it.

"I've found a ritual that may work," Snape drawled. He held a scrowl for Draco to take. "It's... risky, but it looks promising. We're in unfamiliar territory here."

Draco frowned as he read Snape's detailed notes on the parchment. It did indeed sound quite dangerous. But, Snape wouldn't have presented it if he didn't think it was possible. Draco would need to prepare, but he could do it for Harry. Their souls and magic had been winding them ever closer together over the years. Draco had to trust that their bond was strong enough to withstand a trial by fire.


	30. Year Five: Part Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys... Big stuff in this chapter. Fair warning, it's a little more intense in once place and it does get emotional. Nothing too crazy, but I have had people fuss about not having warning. Not here. You guys here at AO3 have been great. Some of the readers at the fanfiction site are whiners. Ugh....  
> Anyway, I'm super excited to offer this chapter to you guys. Hope you like it.

Harry was having a difficult time focusing. The Wolf Pack was in the Room of Requirement, practicing new spells. Harry was so distracted that he'd managed to get hit by two stunners and a jelly-legs hex. It was usually much harder to hit Harry.

Draco swiftly pulled Harry away from the dueling pairs. He knew that Harry was preoccupied with thoughts of the horcrux and the ritual. Draco was nervous as well. But they had to be able to continue on.

"Harry, it's not safe to duel if you're not going to pay attention," Draco chided. "I know you're worried, but you're going to get hurt."

"I can't help it," Harry murmured. "It's a big deal."

"I agree," Draco responded calmly. "But worrying doesn't help. It won't fix anything. It only makes you a hazard during training."

"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly.

"Why doubt you work with the pups for a little while," Draco suggested, smoothing down Harry's rumpled shirt. "It'll make you feel better." He gave Harry a little push toward their youngest members. They were less likely to cause his boyfriend permanent damage.

Harry walked around the corner to where the pups were working with Blaise. They were safely hidden from stray spells from the older students and had room to work on their own spells.

"Taking over?" Blaise asked cheerfully.

"Yes," Harry replied, unable to stop his smile when the pups cheered. Blaise offered a wink and moved back to the older students.

A first year Hufflepuff, a new recruit, hurried forward and hugged Harry excitedly. "What are you going to teach us Alpha?" she asked eagerly.

Harry smiled indulgently. He could feel himself relaxing already. "What would you like to know?" he asked. He laughed when they all answered at once.

An hour later, Draco found Harry sitting on the floor with the pups gathered around him. He had apparently given up on teaching and was telling the young ones stories about his past adventures. The younger students were listening to Harry with rapt attention, crowding close.

"Lazing about I see," Draco teased.

"Alpha," a few of the pups greeted happily.

Draco lowered himself onto the floor, smiling when Ben pulled Draco to move closer to their little huddle. He loved the pups. He didn't think it was a paternal feeling exactly, but there was definitely a familial sort of love and protectiveness. At that moment, it was less important for the young ones to learn all the advanced magic that the others were working on. Right now, Draco just wanted for the pups to trust their Alphas to look after them.

"Did you all finish your homework?" Draco asked, ruffling Ben's hair fondly. He smiled when a few of them looked guilty. "Which class?" he asked in fond exasperation.

"Potions," Ben admitted sheepishly.

Draco grinned. "Well, you need to go down to dinner," he said. "But after that, if you like, Harry and I can help you with your potions essays." Harry nodded his acceptance of the suggestion, favoring Draco with a sweet smile.

The pups caught the look. "Are you in love?" a second year Ravenclaw girl asked abruptly. The others looked between Draco and Harry with interest.

Draco looked down, a blush staining his cheeks. He supposed that offering a little trust in return would be worthwhile. He glanced at Harry to see that he was smiling. "We are," Draco said softly. He glanced around at the grins on the pups' faces. "But it's a secret right now. Professor Malfoy wouldn't approve of it."

"We won't tell anyone," a Slytherin named Graham said. "You're our Alphas. The Pack is family."

"Of course it is," Harry agreed with a smile. "We all look after each other. That's why we're here. And we appreciate you protecting our secret. Draco and I just want to be together." He draped one arm over the shoulders of a second year Gryffindor as she pressed against his side.

Draco melted at the sight. He'd discovered quickly that some of their pups were more affectionate than others. It resulted in many hugs and sitting close when there was a lull in training. When Draco had been their age, he'd missed his parents terribly while he was at school, especially his mother. Having Harry with him made it easier. It was strange to provide that kind of love and support for the pups, but Draco was enjoying it. And seeing Harry show such tenderness to the youngest wolves was endearing.

Hermione approached the group, a smile blossoming on her face as she took in their positions on the floor. "It's time for dinner," she reminded them.

Everyone got to their feet, dusting off their clothes. "Hermione, could you help us after dinner?" Draco asked. "Some of the pups are having trouble with the potions essay. Harry and I are going to help them. But I don't want them up late so we may need a little help. It'll let us get done more quickly. Unless you have your own work to do," he added quickly.

"I'm happy to help, Alpha," Hermione replied with a cheeky grin. "I'll bring Blaise as well."

"Thank you," Draco replied, rolling his eyes. The Betas had started addressing Draco and Harry as Alpha in front of the other wolves. It was a little embarrassing. Which is probably why they did it. In a way, it kept things from feeling far too serious. With everything going on in their world, something needed to feel light-hearted.

HP~DM

It had become more difficult to protect Harry's mind from Voldemort. The Dark Lord's obsession with the prophecy was causing Harry to have more dreams about the Department of Mysteries. The scar on Harry's forehead burned frequently and he'd begun having headaches a few times a week.

Draco was concerned for Harry's health. He couldn't stand to see his soulmate suffering. Draco felt it too, to an extent, but he didn't complain. He'd never make Harry feel badly about it.

It was time to move forward with their plan.

They'd decided to perform the ritual in the Room of Requirement. It seemed to be the best choice. Remus, Sirius and Narcissa came to the school during dinner one day to avoid detection. Dumbledore took them straight to the Room of Requirement to wait.

Once dinner was finished Harry and Draco hurried to the room as well. The Betas followed them, exchanging anxious looks.

McGonagall was inside the room when they arrived, chatting with Narcissa. She fell silent when the students came in. Wordlessly, she moved to Harry to hug him warmly. "It'll be alright," she murmured as she released him.

Each of the adults took a moment to embrace Draco and Harry. The tension in the room was palpable.

Snape arrived last, looking quite tense, even for him. "Are we ready?" he asked tersely.

"I believe so," Dumbledore responded solemnly.

"Are we certain about this?" Narcissa asked tremulously. "This is incredibly dangerous. We don't know if it will work." She glanced fearfully at Draco.

"We need to do this," Draco said, his voice surprisingly steady. "This will let us get ahead of Voldemort. I refuse to wait around until we have no option but to let Harry die so we can finish that sick bastard off."

"Draco-" Harry began, voice quiet.

"I'm not having this argument again," Draco snapped, turning to meet Harry's anxious gaze. "I can do this. We can do this. I trust our magic and the bond we share," he said, cupping Harry's face. He made a pained sound at the tears that slipped silently down Harry's face.

Draco hugged Harry closely, drawing in a deep breath. "It'll be alright," he said quietly.

"If anything happens to you-"

"Don't do that to yourself," Draco said sternly. "Just breathe, and trust me."

Harry nodded, pulling back and hastily wiping his face. He smiled tremulously when the Betas surrounded them for a group hug.

"We're right here with you, Alphas," Greg said somberly.

"Always," Vince agreed with a nod.

"You'll be fine," Ron said, patting them on the back encouragingly. Blaise and Hermione copied the gesture.

"Now then," Dumbledore said after he's cleared his throat. "The soul fragment has a weakened hold because of the basilisk venom, but it will still put up quite a fight. Are you prepared for that?" he asked Draco.

"I am," Draco responded.

Harry and Draco were each handed a little vial of potion while everyone formed a circle. The adults and the Betas each contributed a bit of blood, solemnly murmuring protection spells as they went. The blood was then poured out in a circle while Dumbledore murmured quietly. The blood circle glowed white for just a moment before returning to normal.

Dumbledore used another spell to draw a ring of flames on the stone floor, just outside the ring of blood. The flames rose quickly, creating a wall of fire.

At the Headmaster's nod, Harry and Draco drank the potion. It made their insides feel as if they'd been filled with ice. It would protect them from the flames, but very briefly.

Draco and Harry quickly stepped through the flames to stand inside the blood circle. Draco reached out and grasped Harry's face gently, pressing their foreheads together. "I love you," Draco said.

"I love you too," Harry responded, allowing his gaze to focus on Draco's eyes.

Draco used legilimency and their connection to press into Harry's mind. Then he allowed the connection to quickly expand. It was an odd sensation. He could feel Harry's fear, love, anticipation... He could feel the brush of Harry's soul against his own, like a loving caress. It was a swirling, pale yellow light

And then he felt it. The hostile, wicked presence of the interloping soul fragment. It was a smokey violet, and it seemed to writhe under Draco's scrutiny. Draco instinctively wanted to draw back from it. But he couldn't allow it to damage Harry any further.

Pain lanced through him and Draco gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to pull back. The potion had worn off, but the fire needed to further sever the horcrux's connection. He couldn't stop.

Draco felt it the second the fragment ripped free. Harry jerked and his soul seemed to shudder and flicker alarmingly. Draco focused on the blackness of Voldemort's soul and pushed his magic toward it. It fought back viciously.

The pain was growing, and Harry was bad off; his soul wounded and fading. Despite that, Draco felt it when the wounded soul rallied and wrapped around his own, lending Harry's magic. Draco gave a mighty shove with the magic and forced the fragment out. Then everything went black.

The Betas were watching in horror as Harry and Draco screamed in pain. Hermione was sobbing loudly, unable to contain it.

Blaise nearly choked when a black, ominous cloud of smoke suddenly erupted from within the ring of fire. He watched in shock as Snape held out a crystal and used a spell to make the smoke go into the crystal.

Dumbledore waved his wand, making the fire die quickly. Harry and Draco collapsed. Snape grabbed the sword of Gryffindor from a nearby table and swung it down to shatter the crystal. A piercing scream filled the room with another cloud of smoke and then it was quiet.

They all rushed to the couple on the floor, sinking to the floor with fearful expressions. Their robes were destroyed and the skin that was exposed was burned and blistered.

"We need to get them to the hospital wing immediately," McGonagall said, not bothering to wipe the tears from her face. Sirius was cradling Remus against his chest while the werewolf sobbed brokenly.

The pair was levitated off the floor and they all made their way to the infirmary. Poppy gasped in horror at the condition of her new patients and hastily set to work, shooing everyone but the headmaster out.

Remus was inconsolable. The sound of his misery was heartbreaking. Sirius continued to hold him, pulling McGonagall in to join the embrace.

"Merlin, I hope they're alright," Ron said, his voice catching.

Blaise sobbed quietly, burying his face in his hands. He didn't think he'd ever get the sound of Harry and Draco's screams of pain out of his head. He shuddered as Greg moved to hug him against his sturdy frame. Ron hugged Hermione while Vince moved to comfort Narcissa.

For a while the hall was silent accept for Remus' sobs and the sound of Snape pacing restlessly. Finally, Dumbledore stepped into the hall.

"Draco is alright," he said, turning to look at Narcissa. "He had a significant number of burns, but Poppy will be able to heal them completely."

"And Harry?" Sirius prompted anxiously.

Dumbledore hesitated. "Harry's recovery is less certain," he admitted sadly. "He was badly burned and the trauma of having the horcrux ripped out of him was substantial. We can't know the state of his mind or soul." He looked down at the floor sadly while the weeping picked up in the hallway.

"Can Draco heal him?" Snape asked, his face tense.

Dumbledore met his gaze thoughtfully. "I don't know," he replied quietly.

"But it's worth trying," Snape pressed, looking determined. "It was the entire reason for the bond they share; Potter's soul binding to its mate to attempt healing itself."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Once we get the worst of the burns healed, we'll test that out," he decided. He sighed tiredly. "I dare not attempt to look into Harry mind while he is so... shattered. Draco is likely the only one who could do it safely."

The group stood there in the hall, exhausted and worried. The horcrux was gone, but at what cost? If Harry survived, would he be the same Harry. Was he going to be too damaged?

"We'll love him anyway," Blaise said suddenly, his voice rough with emotion. "If Harry is... broken, we'll still love him. Our Alpha," he added softly. He sighed as Ron and Hermione shuffled closer to lean against Greg as well. "If he needs us to take care of him, that's what we'll do." Ron nodded his agreement.

"How do we handle Lucius?" Narcissa asked, speaking up for the first time. "You won't be able to hide these injuries from him."

"Potions accident," Snape supplied. "I'll tell him that they were working on advanced potions. Lucius is well aware of their proficiency, but accidents do happen."

"And the worst of the burns will be bandaged," Dumbledore added. "We can just say that Harry tried to shield Draco and got the worst of it."

Narcissa nodded in acceptance. "I should be going," she murmured softly. "Please inform me when my son wakes." She stepped close and hugged Remus tightly. They clung to one another for a moment, seeking and offering comfort. "They'll be alright," Narcissa whispered.

Remus nodded mutely, releasing her and watching as she hurried away. He sighed, leaning against Sirius again. His heart ached to think of Harry, wounded and struggling to survive. If Harry didn't make it, it would destroy Remus completely.

HP~DM

The pain in his head was nearly blinding.

Draco groaned, wanting to press at his temples, but it hurt to move. What had happened? And then he remembered. The ritual. A ring if blood inside a ring of fire. Pain. The malevolent presence of Voldemort's soul inside Harry. Harry's dying soul curling weakly around his own.

"Harry!" Draco cried out hoarsely.

There was the sound of hasty shuffling and then something cool pressing against his mouth. "Drink this," came the command from Madam Pomfrey. "It's for the pain."

Draco allowed her to lift his head and swallowed obediently as the potion was poured into his mouth. After a moment, he was able to open his eyes and look around. The hospital wing was a little too bright but it wasn't unbearable.

Remus and Sirius were standing at the foot of the bed, looking exhausted but relieved. Dumbledore and McGonagall stood at one side of the bed while Madam Pomfrey stood on the other side, fussing and using a few diagnostic charms to check Draco over.

"You had us worried," Sirius said softly.

"Where's Harry?" Draco asked, his voice shaking with fear.

"Harry's not doing well," Sirius answered, looking down and scrubbing at his eyes. "The ritual was too much for him." Next to him, Remus squeezed his eyes shut with an agonized expression.

"I need to be with him," Draco gasped, struggling to get up. Madam Pomfrey tried to stop him but Dumbledore waved her away and carefully helped Draco get up.

Sirius came to support Draco's weight on one side and Remus moved to the other side. Slowly they helped Draco move toward a bed that was hidden by curtains. Draco pulled at the curtains and gazed at the unconscious form of his love.

Harry's bandaged arms were resting on top of the blankets. He had a few burns on his face that were healing nicely. Aside from the burns, he was deathly pale.

"We can only assume that the damage to his soul is too great," Dumbledore said quietly. "Poppy has had a difficult time keeping his vitals stable."

Draco pulled out of Sirius and Remus' grasp and climbed into the bed with Harry. Rather than argue, Sirius helped to maneuver Harry's limp form so that Harry and Draco could lay chest to chest.

Remus and Sirius took seats near the bed, content to watch over the two boys. If there was any hope for Harry to recover, it rested with Draco. Everything that Poppy had been trying had only succeeded in slowing Harry's death a bit.

Draco cradled Harry's body, pressing his lips to Harry's forehead. "Come back to me Harry," he whispered softly.

Draco fell silent, holding Harry close. He closed his eyes and concentrated, willing his soul to reach out to Harry's. His heart broke when he realized how dim Harry's soul was now. It was weak and fading and Harry felt... cold. Draco reached out with his magic, offering himself. Take what you need from me. Anything. Everything.

HP~DM

For three days, there was very little movement from that hospital bed. Lucius had stopped by to check on his son and Draco had hastily returned to his own bed for the visit. As soon as Lucius was gone, Draco was right back in Harry's bed, keeping Harry cuddled against his body.

Despite the bed rest, Draco was exhausted. He did his best to brush off his friends' concern, but he was beginning to worry himself.

Finally, Harry's eyes opened.

Harry blinked slowly, vision blurry without his glasses. But he could see well enough to recognize that it was Draco that was holding him.

Draco opened his eyes, immediately tearing up when he realized that Harry was awake. "Oh, Harry," he murmured brokenly. "I was so worried."

Harry struggled but managed to wrap his arms around Draco's slim waist. He heaved a sigh and pressed his face to Draco's shoulder. They remained still and quiet until the infirmary doors opened.

Remus and Sirius came in and cried out with joy when they realized that Harry was awake. They ran to the bed and hugged both boys. Harry simply remained still, soaking up the affection with sleepy contentment.

"How are you feeling?" Sirius asked, lifting his head to peer at Harry's face.

"M'fine," Harry mumbled quietly, his eyes closing again. He snuggled into Draco's shoulder and went right back to sleep. Thinking that Harry had the right idea, Draco wrapped an arm around Harry and drifted off himself.

Remus and Sirius sent a message to Minerva to alert her and then settled in to watch over the boys once more.

Harry and Draco spent the next day mostly sleeping. Dumbledore had quickly assured Harry's three parents that it was to be expected. In their wakeful moments, Harry and Draco spent their time sharing warm hugs, chaste kisses and gentle caresses.

Harry's soul hadn't been torn apart like Voldemort's soul. Instead, Harry's soul had been, essentially, ripped open and his magic had struggled to keep it intact with him. That struggle would likely have killed Harry if not for Draco. Draco's magic had bolstered Harry's while their souls were soothed with every loving touch.

"How are you feeling today?" Dumbledore asked, watching Madam Pomfrey as she checked Harry over.

"I actually feel really good," Harry said. "I'm still a little tired but... I don't think I've ever felt this good," he admitted with a smile.

"Wonderful," Dumbledore responded cheerfully. "In that case, you have some visitors. They've been quite desperate to see you." He waved his wand and the infirmary doors opened.

In walked their Betas, leading the Pups. The Pups rushed at the bed, a few of them bursting into tears. Draco made a sound of distress, sitting up on the bed and opening his arms. One of the little Gryffindors sobbed and leapt forward to accept the embrace.

"I'm so sorry we scared you," Harry said in a choked voice, hugging two of them at once. "We're okay now."

"What happened?" Ben asked quietly. He'd managed not to cry, but he seemed to be barely holding on to his composure. "The Betas won't tell us why you were so sick. We know it wasn't a potions accident."

Harry sighed. "That's not something you need to know," he replied. "You wouldn't understand and it would just upset you. When you're older we may talk about it. For now, the only thing you need to know is that we're better. It won't happen again."

"Can you trust us to know what's best for you?" Draco asked, gently petting down the ruffled hair of a nearby Hufflepuff.

"Yes Alpha," said the little Gryffindor that was still clinging to Draco. The others agreed in between all the sniffling.

"We didn't mean to ambush you," Blaise said apologetically. "But the Pups have been distraught. When the story about the potions accident started, they immediately questioned it."

"The Pack didn't believe it for a second," Hermione agreed with a strained smile. "So we had to call a meeting to address it. But, we didn't think it was right to burden your pups with such knowledge."

"Thank you," Harry replied.

"You gave us quite a fright mate," Ron put in shakily.

"Well, we had to do something," Harry chuckled. "No trolls or dementers this year."

"I think I'd prefer for it to be boring," Vince grumbled.

"Yeah, it'd be great if we could avoid the drama next time," Greg agreed, making the pups laugh.

Harry and Draco were allowed to leave the hospital wing just after lunch. They immediately went to Professor Snape's office for an assessment. He was most familiar with Harry's magic, so it seemed prudent for him to evaluate it after such a traumatic event.

"Do not concern yourself about this," Snape said firmly. "With the horcrux gone, it's perfectly natural for you to have a decline. That soul fragment was lending you the Dark Lord's abilities. Even without the extra power, you have an impressive knowledge of spells and theory."

Harry sighed and pulled out his wand. Suddenly being less powerful was depressing. He dutifully began casting various spells. He levitated books, summoned quills, transfigured a chair into a kettle... Everything seemed normal enough.

"Now try wandless," Snape said, leaning against his desk. "If you can't manage, it's perfectly alright. It isn't necessary."

Harry swallowed hard, focusing more carefully on the flow of magic. It did feel a little different. He held his hand out, calling out to one of the books with his magic.

Draco let out an excited shout when the book soared into Harry's outstretched hand. "Yes!" Draco cheered. "That was brilliant Harry."

"Let's try something else then," Snape decided, though he did look pleased. "Wand out. Shield charm."

Harry obeyed hastily, bracing himself when Snape sent a stunner that bounced harmlessly against the invisible barrier. Snape frowned thoughtfully. "Wandless?" Snape suggested.

Harry had certainly never tried that before. But Snape looked strangely eager now, so Harry tucked his wand away. He took a deep breath and willed his magic to flow from his core and out to his fingertips.

A thrill of excitement raced down his spine as his magic bowed to his will. This time, Snape put enough power behind his spell to rattle Harry's teeth. But the shield held.

Next thing Harry knew, he was on his back.

Draco had tackled him with an exuberant hug. "That was amazing," Draco said, his eyes bright with excitement and affection.

"What's amazing is that you haven't managed to fracture Potter's spine over the years," Snape drawled, reaching out to pull the boys to their. feet. "I think it is safe to say that you've not lost any magical strength in this ordeal. You just seem to have even more control now."

"Thank Merlin," Harry sighed.

"Indeed," Snape agreed. "Be careful in your classes. You need to focus on controlling how much power goes into each spell. You wouldn't want to injure anyone."

"Yes sir," Harry agreed, relieved. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten so lucky, but he was certainly grateful.

That evening, the Wolves gathered in the Room of Requirement. They didn't bother with much training and instead spent the time enjoying the return of the Alphas. At the request of the pups, Draco transformed into the white wolf and lead them on a chase around the spacious room.

"Go on Harry," Ron encouraged. "The pups love Orion." The Betas had felt horrible for how hard the Pups had taken Harry and Draco's "illness". Now, they were eager to see the youngest wolves happy and playful.

Grinning, Harry shifted. But this change felt rather strange, and it wasn't happening as quickly as past transformations.

"Something's wrong," Hermione said, a note of panic in her voice.

Orion had collapsed but swiftly got to his feet, only to realize that something was still off. He looked up to see that the Pack was staring at him in amazement.

"This shouldn't be possible," Hermione breathed. "Animagus forms don't change."

Change? Orion looked down to see that his form was considerably larger than he expected. He looked back up in time to see Hermione conjure a large mirror.

He was now a large black wolf with vibrant green eyes. He felt a moment of sadness for the loss of his feline form, but it seemed more fitting to be a wolf.

The white wolf moved up next to him, and Orion couldn't help admiring how striking they looked together. He turned to look into lovely silver eyes, joy rippling through him. He tipped his head back and let loose a long howl.

The white wolf joined in, its voice a bit higher pitched. Around them, the pups howled as well. This caused the rest of the Pack to laugh.

"This is brilliant," Blaise chuckled. "Alpha wolves. Now we just need a name for Orion's mate."

The older pack members discussed names while the pups huddled around the two wolves. The wolves happily nuzzled and nudged at their pups. Orion now understood Draco's penchant for snuggling and grooming the young ones. It suddenly felt like the most natural thing in the world. And the pups didn't seem to think it was strange at all. They accepted the affection without hesitation.

It was nearly overwhelming, the love Orion felt for his Pack. Not just the pups. It sang through his blood and warmed every part of him. They came from four different houses and had bonded through a desire to protect themselves from the darkness. House affiliation made no difference to the Pack now.

"Alright I think we've got it," Ron announced. He was holding a book and smiling widely. He marched over and crouched in front of the white wolf, holding the book open. It was a book on astrology that Hermione had found in one of the bookshelves provided by the Room.

"See this?" Ron said, pointing a picture of tiny stars with two stars shining bigger and brighter than the others. "We're going to call you Centauri. It's the third brightest star in the sky after Sirius and Canopus. We can't use Sirius and Canopus is a stupid name."

"It's actually called Alpha Centauri," Hermione corrected with a grin.

"How great is that?" Ron enthused while the others laughed. "So now you're Alpha Centauri and he's Alpha Orion."

The white wolf looked at Orion and then at the pups. "I think it sounds great," Ben said helpfully. The other pups nodded their agreement.

Satisfied, the white wolf nodded once. He closed his eyes contentedly when Ron scratched behind his ears. Then Ron dropped his hand. "Right then. Pups lets give them a moment and we'll let you practice your tickling charms on the other wolves," Ron said with a mischievous grin.

Orion and Centauri watched them go before nuzzling against one another. Being a cat had been fun, but nothing felt as right as Orion's new wolf form. And having his newly named mate at his side just made everything better.

HP~DM

Lucius Malfoy wasn't sure what to think. After several days in the hospital wing, Draco and Harry were back in class as if nothing had happened. They suddenly seemed more vibrant and confident.

It only took a few moments of observation in Defense class to realize that Harry had a, frankly, alarming level of control of the power he wielded. It was impressive and a little terrifying.

And then there was the fact that Draco and Harry seemed closer than ever. They were always together. Lucius couldn't afford to have Draco be so attached to Harry. The Dark Lord had every intention of using Draco's influence to lure Harry out of Dumbledore's protection. But Lucius was quickly realizing that Draco's friendship with the other boy wasn't an act at all.

"Potter is... more talented than I thought," Lucius murmured one evening as he sat in Snape's office.

"His abilities are impressive," Snape agreed. "As are Draco's," he added with a congratulatory nod.

Lucius nodded absently, his expression troubled. "May I be frank with you?" he asked.

Snape gave a vague wave of invitation.

"I find it concerning," Lucius admitted. "Our Lord was already defeated once when Potter was a baby. And I fear that Potter will only grow stronger."

"A perfectly reasonable assumption."

"Draco's friendship with him seems authentic," Lucius said, scowling suddenly. "I told him to gain Potter's trust. He knows better than this. Potter is the enemy. Draco is to take the Mark at the end of term and will surely be expected to show his loyalty."

Snape was silent for a while. "You are afraid that the Dark Lord will lose," he said quietly.

Lucius flinched and opened his mouth to deny it. And then he slumped slightly. "Yes," he whispered. "I fear for my own ability to protect my family. The Dark Lord does not easily forgive our failings."

Snape nodded slowly, considering. "Well, he is just a boy, Lucius," he drawled.

"Don't patronize me Severus," Lucius growled, his control snapping. "He is restraining himself. Holding back. The fact that I can feel that is... terrifying. A fifteen year old boy with that kind of magic..."

Snape nodded somberly, brushing aside the urge to smirk in triumph. Lucius was afraid of Harry. That was definitely a step in the right direction.


	31. Year Five: Part Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco has a melt down. Lucius has that creepy stalker vibe. The students take their exams. Harry goes all Alpha. Harry and Draco have to say goodbye to their Pups for the summer.   
> Sounds fun, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter but... No, I don't really have a good reason for it. But, there's more to come.

With the horcrux gone and Harry's soul intact, it seemed prudent to address Voldemort's obsession with the prophecy. Voldemort was going to try to kill Harry either way, but there was no sense in giving him even more reason to do so.

Being the tedious individual that he was, at least according to Snape, Sirius had decided to handle the matter himself. He went to the Ministry, and sweet-talked his way into the Hall of Prophecy. A sneaky trip jinx had sent the poor Ministry worker sprawling and conveniently knocking over several orbs containing prophecies. Remus had done a lot of shouting when he realized what Sirius had done.

The Wolf pack had laughed themselves silly when Harry had read them the letter that contained Sirius' exaggerated retelling of the event.

The rest of the wizarding world was being subjected to the death eaters. Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco's aunt, had been among those that had escaped Azkaban prison, and she was quite mad. Just seeing her name in the newspaper made Draco shudder. He hadn't met her, but he'd heard plenty of stories.

So far, there were only a few reports of attacks in muggle towns. But they were brutal. And still the Ministry was reluctant to acknowledge the possibility that Harry had been telling the truth about Voldemort.

And then there was the fact that Hagrid was keeping a giant in the Forbidden Forest. That had been an interesting revelation. It seemed that Grawp was Hagrid's half brother. The centaurs in the forest were furious.

Draco had lost it when Hagrid had introduced Grawp to them. Which would have been hilarious if it hadn't offended the centaurs at the same time.

"Are you kidding me?" Draco screeched, staring incredulously at Grawp. "What the hell were you thinking Hagrid?"

Hagrid flushed. "He's my-"

"Yes, he's your brother," Draco snapped. "I heard that part. Are you insane? You've got him tied to a bloody tree like a damn puppy."

Ron was wheezing into the bark of a large tree nearby. Blaise was watching him with a mixture of amusement and fondness.

"Draco-" Harry began, hoping to soothe his boyfriend. Unfortunately, that was when the centaurs made their appearance. Harry recognized Firenze immediately and the centaur gave a tiny nod before glancing warily at the leader, Bane.

"This forest is-" Bane began, gruffly.

"You can wait your turn," Draco growled, rounding on the centaurs with a scowl. "Nobody was talking to you."

"Oh my god, we're gonna die," Blaise choked out. On the plus side, Ron had stopped giggling.

"Draco, my love, please shut up," Harry groaned, tugging Draco back a pace.

"No!" Draco shrieked. "You know what? I'm sick of all this ridiculous shit! I mean, what the hell?! Hagrid can't go a year without bringing something utterly moronic and murderous to school? The minister of magic is a complete nob. My father is breathing down my neck about the Dark Lord and taking the mark. We can't be open about our relationship so I get to feel like a dirty little secret. And now, these horse people are butting in while I'm having a crisis!" He punctuated this rambling, and slightly hysterical, rant with a bad-tempered stomp of his foot.

For a moment, nobody said anything. And then Harry pushed Draco behind him hastily. "Let's just calm down," he said evenly.

But Bane was nowhere in the vicinity of calm. He bellowed angrily and stamped his hooves. He took a menacing step forward but halted when Harry held both hands out. Bane seemed to realize immediately that the gesture was defensive rather than merely placating.

"I don't want to hurt you," Harry said calmly. "We have no quarrel with you. Yet," he added with a little shrug.

Bane growled but Firenze quickly began muttering to him. "Surely you feel their magic," Firenze murmured. "They are the wolves that the stars foretold."

Harry groaned. He didn't even want to know. He was so fed up with prophecies.

Bane was furious, but he seemed to accept Firenze's words reluctantly. The centaurs left, casting angry looks back at Draco. Harry raised one hand in thanks and farewell to Firenze before turning back to his boyfriend.

"Let's get you back to the castle," he said, wrapping his arm around Draco. Harry turned to look at Hagrid. "This isn't a good idea," he said gesturing toward Grawp who was looking longingly after the centaurs.

Hagrid sighed but said nothing as Harry led his friends away.

"Are you unhappy with our relationship?" Harry asked quietly once they'd left the forest. He was forced to pull his arm away from Draco as they approached the castle. He felt immensely guilty doing so since it clearly bothered Draco.

"Harry, I love you," Draco said softly. "You know that. It just... It bothers me that we aren't free to be together. It's not that I feel compelled to snog your face off in the Great Hall. But it would be nice to walk the halls holding your hand. Tell you that I love you without worrying about who will overhear. There are so many things that other couples can enjoy..."

Draco blushed, looking down. "Sorry that I went completely mental back there," he muttered sheepishly. "I've been feeling a bit stressed and it's so frustrating when more bizarre stuff keeps happening."

"I thought it was hilarious," Ron piped up helpfully.

"It was a little funny," Hermione giggled, causing Blaise, Vince and Greg to laugh as well.

"It's been a while since I've seen you in a strop, Draco," Blaise chuckled. "It was impressive."

"Oh, shut up," Draco grumbled, blushing again when Harry winked at him.

HP~DM

Professor Malfoy was a bit of a nuisance. In class, he just barely roused himself enough to offer any sort of instruction. His interest was suddenly focused on Harry to an intensity that made Harry a little afraid that Draco wasn't the only bent Malfoy.

Lucius was spending a lot of time watching Harry or finding reasons to talk to him. Harry was never completely certain of what Lucius was getting at, but he had resorted to practically fleeing when he saw the blond professor in the hallway.

Of course, the Wolves found this uproariously funny. The twins in particular were enjoying Harry's discomfort. And Professor Malfoy's preoccupation was... convenient.

Harry stepped up to McGonagall's desk at the end of class, offering her a sweet smile. "Hey Minnie," he said quietly.

"Harry," she greeted with a nod. "I wonder if you know who has been playing pranks on Professor Malfoy?"

Harry smirked. "I don't know anything for certain, but I bet I could take a shot in the dark... What have they done?"

McGonagall's lips twitched as she tried to prevent a smile. "Well, most recently, someone covered his desk with paper hearts that all had 'I love HP' written on them."

"Well that's... awkward."

"Indeed," McGonagall agreed. "Though, it was far less intrusive than that same message being charmed onto his... er- under garments."

"They didn't-"

"Oh they must certainly did," she responded. Her composure broke and she snorted into her hand. "I don't think I've ever seen Severus laugh as hard as he did when he told me that."

"Professor Snape saw Malfoy's pants?" Harry asked, looking ill.

"Apparently Lucius panicked a little at the sight of his 'defiled unmentionables'," McGonagall cackled. "Oh and someone charmed the suits of armor to whistle and catcall when Lucius walks by." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "And all of the seventh years are calling him Luscious Locks, sometimes without even attempting to be discreet about it."

Harry was giggling now. Really, it served the man right for acting like a creepy stalker. "I suppose you want me to stop them," he asked, once his laughter had died down.

"Don't be silly. I haven't had this much fun in years."

Harry laughed again, shaking his head.

Hearing that McGonagall had been so entertained was like a request for the twins to continue. Harry almost felt sorry for Professor Malfoy. But if the man were paying attention, he'd know who had charmed all of his quills to scream and run away. The twins had abandoned all attempts at being subtle.

Hermione had conplained that they were distracting everyone from learning. Fred had kissed her cheek and insisted that what Professor Malfoy did barely qualified as teaching anyway. Hermione had nearly succumbed to his reasoning and charm, but then their professor had consumed one of the twins' Canary Creams... And had turned into a giant yellow canary. Temporarily, of course. But still...

HP~DM

The OWLs were looming before the fifth years and the seventh years were preparing for NEWTs. Gatherings of the Wolf Pack had mostly turned into study sessions. Hermione was in a frantic state and seemed determined to force her anxiety on the others. Fred was the only one who seemed able to settle her down to a tolerable level. Draco had taken to avoiding Hermione completely if Fred wasn't around to shut her up.

On the first day of exams, Harry quickly found himself relaxing. He'd done so much extra work that he was well prepared.

During the Defense practical, one of the old wizards administering the test asked to see Harry's patronus. Harry had complied, proud of the shining wolf that burst forth from his wand. A moment later, he regretted it because Professor Malfoy was staring at him in horrified shock.

Draco had come in for his practical exam before Harry. Had they asked to see his patronus as well?

"Another wolf," the old wizard said, delighted. "How extraordinary. Well done Mr. Potter."

Harry left swiftly, suddenly feeling sick. Draco frowned at the sight of him.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, forcing himself to keep his hands at his sides. There were too many people standing in the hallway just then. "I know you did well. You're the best in Defense."

"They asked to see my Patronus," Harry said hoarsely.

"Me too," Draco nodded, confused by Harry's anxiety. Then he winced. "My father," he groaned. "Did he see it?"

"Yes. And the look on his face..." Harry scrubbed at his face in agitation. "Is there any chance that the significance of that would be lost on him?"

Draco bit his lip, dreading the next time he encountered his father. At that moment, they could only carry on as if nothing was amiss.

The days stretched on with exam after exam. The only class that Harry wasn't reasonably confident in was History of Magic. It was the only class with a ghost professor and Harry often wondered if the man had simply bored himself to death. Hermione alone had seemed capable of staying awake during the class.

The following week the students took the last of their exams. It was finally over. Hermione was keen to discuss each test in excruciating, obsessive detail, but nobody cared to join her.

It wasn't until the day before they were to return home that Lucius finally approached Draco and Harry. By then, he'd worked himself up into a fine fury. He'd urged the two of them into the Defense classroom and slammed the door.

"Would you care to explain yourself Draco?" Lucius demanded, ignoring Harry completely for the moment.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, keeping his tone cool despite the frantic fluttering of his heart.

"Do not play coy with me," Lucius snarled. "You think I'm too much of a fool to notice that your Patronus matches Potter's? That I wouldn't realize that you were seeing this half-blood brat? Have you no shame at all?"

Draco remained silent, his posture perfectly straight and haughty.

"What are you thinking? You are going to marry a proper pureblood witch and produce an heir. To enter in to a such a disgraceful relationship-"

"I'm gay!" Draco retorted hotly. "There. I've said it. It's out in the open. I'm gay. Live with it."

"I will not be spoken to that way," Lucius snapped. "This boy is the enemy. You know this. You've always known."

"Harry has never been my enemy," Draco answered sharply. He lifted his chin defiantly. "Not for one single moment. I love him. And I'd die before standing against him."

"That may well be your fate!" Lucius bellowed, suddenly looking completely unhinged. He whipped out his wand and Draco took a startled step back.

Harry sprang forward, throwing his hands out in front of him. Lucius was thrown backward, hitting the door before crumpling on the ground. Harry held one hand out, palm parallel to the floor, his magic pressing Lucius down.

"If you ever raise your wand against your son again," Harry spat, green eyes narrowed, "you had better pray that I'm already dead."

"I wasn't-"

"Shut up," Harry hissed. "Draco and I protect each other. You won't harm a single hair on his head, or so help me Lucius-"

"Harry!" Draco desperately pulled Harry close. "You're going to kill him. Just calm down."

"I wasn't going to kill him," Harry said, releasing the spell that was keeping Malfoy Senior cowering submissively. He met the professor's stunned gaze. "That was a warning."

"I want to keep my only son safe," Lucius said, glaring. He paused, grinding his teeth together. "The Dark Lord does not look kindly on traitors. You are sentencing him to death."

"Draco is safe with me," Harry responded tersely. He offered no further explanation.

Draco waved his hand and the door opened with a loud bang, making Lucius flinch. "You should go," Draco said coldly.

Lucius backed away and left the room, thoroughly shaken. Harry's magic had pinned him to the ground so easily. And without a wand. And Draco hadn't needed a wand to unlock and open the door. The thought made fear curl in his stomach. He needed to leave. But first, he needed to have a chat with Severus.

HP~DM

The wolves were immediately called together for one last meeting of the term. Harry and Draco had both been so shaken by the encounter with Mr. Malfoy that they were desperate to be with their pack. Without really explaining what had happened, they had asked the Betas to spread the word and get the Wolves together.

The couple stood together, leaning against one wall and holding one another close. They had no idea what to expect now that Lucius was fully aware that they were together. It was unnerving and they were both feeling quite anxious. Harry calmed himself by gently kissing Draco's face and gently rubbing soothing circles on the blond's back. After a few moments, Harry became aware that Draco was trembling in his arms.

"Draco?" Harry called softly. His heart felt constricted at the sound of a quiet sob. Harry cradled Draco's head against his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," he murmured.

"My own father," Draco said, his voice thick with tears. "The Dark Lord and tradition will always be more important than I am. And being gay makes me a disgrace. I'm sure to be disowned now," he added miserably.

Lucius wasn't the best father. He was too focused on pureblood traditions and status. Draco had always felt like a disappointment. But, the confirmation of Lucius' disapproval and disgust for Draco's choice was so painful. Draco still loved his father and had always hoped to gain his father's acceptance and approval. It seemed that Malfoy Senior's love wasn't unconditional, and Draco was never going to measure up.

"You're not a disgrace," Harry said firmly. He cupped Draco's face tenderly. "I think your father does still care about you. He's a little mad, but I do think that he believe that he's protecting you. It's misguided, but..." He pressed a kiss Draco's forehead, gently brushing away the blond's tears. "And you know that your mother won't turn her back on you, no matter what your father says or does." He hugged Draco close again. "If you're disowned, I'll still take care of you. And the moment we're of age, I'll give you my name if that would make you happy."

Draco sniffled, lifting his head to meet Harry's gaze. "Are you- Are you talking about marriage?" he asked softly. "You'd make me a Potter?"

Harry smiled. "Of course," he responded, his fingers caressing soft blond hair. "If that would make you happy, I'd do it gladly," he said.

"Cheering me up is not a good reason to get married," Draco muttered, his face flushing.

"You know that wouldn't be the reason," Harry retorted. He kissed Draco sweetly. "You're my soulmate. I'm always going to want you at my side. Of course I'll want to marry you. What I meant was, if you wanted to do that right away, I'd claim you in a heartbeat. You're mine, Draco Malfoy, and I don't care what your father or anyone else thinks of it."

Draco slid his arms up and around Harry's neck, hugging Harry. It didn't take away the sting of his father's rejection, but Harry's love could make anything easier to bear. "I love you," Draco said quietly.

"I love you too," Harry replied. "We'll get through this."

The Betas arrived just a few minutes later. "Everyone is on the way," Hermione said, leaning in to hug Draco. She paused at the sight of his sad, red-rimmed eyes. "Are you alright? What happened today."

"Nothing like throwing your boyfriend's father against the wall to really make the school year memorable," Harry deadpanned.

"You did what?" Hermione yelped, while the others stared in silent shock.

Draco described the brief argument that he'd had with his father, glad that his voice sounded steady. His friends nodded sympathetically. "Father reached for his wand and Harry just-" He paused glancing at Harry. "He wandlessly blasted Father away from me and then proceeded to pin him to the floor. Wandless," he said emphatically. He looked down abruptly, blushing.

Blaise snorted. "That was a turn on, wasn't it?" he asked. Greg and Vince chortled.

"You have no idea," Draco confirmed with wide eyes. He glanced at Harry again with a shy smile. Harry's mouth suddenly felt really dry.

"Great, because that's exactly what I wanted to know," Ron muttered sarcastically.

"The point is," Harry said, his face flushed with embarrassment, "Mr. Malfoy knows that Draco and I are together. And obviously he saw me use a bit of wandless magic."

Before anyone could say anything encouraging, the door opened and the other Wolves started coming in. Draco nearly burst into tears again as the first of the Pups walked in and ran straight into his arms. Soon, Harry and Draco were surrounded by their pups, doing their best to hug all of them.

"I'm going to miss you all so much over the summer," Draco murmured, kissing the top of one Pup's head.

"I want to stay with you," Graham sniffled, wedging himself between Harry and Draco.

"You need to see your family," Harry reminded him, though the thought of taking all the Pups home with them was wonderfully appealing.

"But, the pack is family too," Olivia said.

"It is," Harry agreed. "And we love you. We'll see you at the start of next term. Will you all write to us?"

"You won't even need to write separate letters, because I'll be with Harry," Draco said, petting the hair of whichever Pup had just snuggled against him.

"But I won't be a Pup anymore," Ben said sadly. The other four second years looked crestfallen at the realization.

"Hey, you'll be moving on to doing more difficult spells," Draco reasoned, his voice trembling. "You will still be in the pack and we will never love you any less."

"And if want to come over for a cuddle, then we'd be fine with it," Harry added tremulously. He hadn't considered how hard it would be to not see the pack over the summer. Standing their with their Pups looking up at them with sad expressions, Harry suddenly felt miserable. "I love you so much," he said softly, gathering them closer.

Seeing their Alphas' distress, the rest of the Wolf Pack crowded close. Soon they were all sinking to sit on the floor. Draco gave up and wept into the soft hair of one the Pups. The rest of the Pack solemnly joined in, sitting close and hugging whoever happened to be close by.

"This is so weird," Seamus said, although he seemed perfectly happy to be hugged by Dean and Vince.

"Everyone just needs to stay safe," Pansy said, sniffling as she leaned against Ron and Michael Corner. "Will you all write to me?"

It was a testament to how close they all were now that Pansy would make such a request. The others responded with assurances that they'd write and perhaps they could coordinate meeting in Diagon Alley to get their school things at the same time.

Harry wasn't sure how long they sat there, drawing comfort from one another until the last possible moment. All too soon, Hermione was dejectedly reminding them that it was time for bed. Slowly, they all helped each other up.

"I love you Alphas," Ben said quietly. The other Pups echoed the sentiment, nearly shattering what was left of the Alphas' composure.

Hermione made a sympathetic sound, gently guiding the Pups away. "Come on then darlings," she said fondly. "Let's get you all to bed." A few of the Wolves were waiting to escort Pups to their common rooms. As much as Harry wanted them all to stay, he loved the sight of the Wolves taking such tender care of the Pups. He couldn't have asked for a better Pack.

"I don't want to be without them this summer," Draco murmured, once he and Harry were alone again.

"I know," Harry said softly.

"I know that they have their own families but..." Draco trailed off, looking frustrated. "They're mine!" he insisted. "My Pups," he added sadly.

"I know Love," Harry sighed, leading Draco toward the door. "We'll try to enjoy our summer together and we'll write to them. It's be alright."

"Can we get them presents?" Draco asked, a distinct pout in his voice.

Harry smiled, lifting Draco's hand to kiss his fingers. "Anything you want." Harry was perfectly happy to do whatever would make his mate feel better.


	32. Family Is What You Make It

Remus and Sirius picked Harry and Draco up from King's Cross station and quickly took them home. The two boys were shocked when they found Narcissa there waiting for them. They each hugged her tightly. "What are you doing here?" Draco asked.

"Well, we've been busy since you two went back to school," Narcissa replied. "I knew that I needed to keep you safe, and it became clear that my own safety was at stake as well. I immediately transferred a decent sum into a vault for you," she informed her son. "I wanted to make sure that your father couldn't keep it from you. I was going to find a home for us, but Remus insisted that you and I would be safer here."

"And you two won't have to be apart," Sirius added helpfully.

"We still have some resources, should the need arise," Narcissa went on. "But for now, it's best if we stay together." She looked between Harry and Draco solemnly. "I hate that I couldn't be with you while you were in the infirmary."

"It's alright Mother," Draco responded. "We're perfectly fine now. Better than ever actually," he added, smiling at Harry.

They spent some time getting settled, setting Draco up in the room next to Harry's. It wasn't as luxurious as what Draco was accustomed to at the manor, but the room was tastefully decorated and comfortable.

Spending the end of Christmas break with Harry was very different from moving in for the summer. Draco was suddenly feeling a little nervous, but it was a welcome distraction from thinking about his father.

Just before dinner, Minerva arrived, bringing Snape and Dumbledore with her. "It seems that you two have had a more eventful term than I realized," she said, giving Harry and Draco a pointed look.

"What?" Remus asked, bewildered. "What did we miss?"

"Your son put Lucius Malfoy in his place," Snape responded with a little smirk, as Harry winced. "Lucius came to my office yesterday. He told me that he'd confronted Draco about his relationship with Potter. Draco was defiant and when Lucius reached for his wand, Potter used a wandless charm to repel him and then pin him to the floor. Lucius was terrified. He said that if Draco hadn't put an end to it, Potter would have killed him."

"I would not," Harry objected indignantly.

"The point is that Lucius is afraid of you," Snape said. "That could be a very good thing."

Dumbledore nodded his agreement before giving Harry and Draco a smile. "Now, I'd rather like to see Draco's animagus form," he said. "I haven't seen it yet, and I hear that it's quite a sight."

Narcissa turned to her son expectantly. She hadn't been given an opportunity to see Draco's animagus form either. He hadn't really wanted to reveal his ability to his father.

"I think that you'll need to see both of us to get the full effect," Draco said. At Harry's nod, they transformed.

Sirius let out a strangled cry, jumping to his feet. The others stared in wonder at the two wolves. "Look at them!" Sirius shouted, his excitement too great to contain. "They're amazing!"

"But, Harry was a cat," Minerva said, shocked and confused. "He's been a cat for six years. Animagus forms don't change. How is this possible?"

"I think that it must be because of the destruction of the horcrux," Dumbledore reasoned. "Harry became an animagus at a very early age, while his soul was burdened with the horcrux. Now that he has been freed from that burden, he has taken on a more suitable animagus form. And it seems reasonable that his true form would be a perfect match for his soul mate."

"This is brilliant," Sirius enthused. He continued to look thoroughly impressed as they returned to human form.

"Do you miss being a cat?" Remus asked Harry.

"On occasion," Harry admitted. "But, even if I could, I wouldn't trade my wolf form. It feels so right. And I love sharing it with Draco. It's a lot more intense."

"It's been strange coping with new instincts," Draco added. "The Pack has been really great though."

"What do you mean?" Narcissa asked.

"We formed a defense group shortly before Umbridge was sacked," Draco explained. "It started out as more of a study group but it evolved. We wanted to be able to survive a war. The group was called the Wolf Pack since Harry and I have wolf patronuses. Harry and I are what you would call the Alpha pair. We lead the pack. A step down from us are the the Betas: Blaise, Ron, Hermione, Vince and Greg. First and Second year students are our Pups. Their training sessions are more simple."

"And the Pups love to cuddle and play," Harry added, smiling fondly. "It's almost like a parent/child relationship. So far, discipline hasn't been an issue. But, we do make sure that they're doing their homework, behaving in the hallways, getting to bed on time..."

"It's hard to be separated from them," Draco went on, his smile falling as he looked down at his hands. "It feels unnatural. And it isn't just Harry and I being emotional. Our instinct to bond and care for our pack seems to be shared by the other Wolves, though to a lesser extent."

"How extraordinary," Dumbledore murmured. "I've never heard of such a thing." He was silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "Yes, how very odd," he said quietly.

HP~DM

Narcissa froze in the doorway to the living room. Her eyes fixed on Harry and Draco as they stood together next to one of the windows. Their bodies were pressed together and Draco's arms were wrapped around Harry's waist.

Harry had one hand pressed to Draco's lower back while the other rested against the side of Draco's neck. His thumb brushed slowly across Draco's jaw as they kissed slowly. Harry loved the taste of Draco's mouth and he treasured every opportunity to indulge himself in the gentle caress of Draco's tongue against his own. Draco was wonderfully responsive, allowing Harry to control the kiss.

Narcissa blushed and looked down, not wishing to intrude on their moment. She'd never seen them in this way. It certainly wasn't the fervent, desperate snogging of lustful teen hormones that Narcissa had dreaded witnessing. Thank Merlin for that.

"Oh! Good morning Mrs. Malfoy," Harry's said, startling her out of her thoughts.

When she looked up, Harry was looking sheepish and red. Draco was blushing too, but he kept himself pressed close, resting his head on Harry's shoulder while his eyes settled on his mother.

"Sorry about that," Harry said, completely flustered. "We just-" He cut himself off, mortified that he'd been caught with his tongue in Draco's mouth.

"It's hard to sleep in separate rooms," Draco supplied, his fingers stroking Harry's back comfortingly. "When I woke up, I just... I needed him," he concluded quietly. His mother had been wonderfully tolerant of their relationship so far, but this was the first time she'd seen any real intimacy between them.

"I apologize for interrupting your time together," Narcissa said softly.

Harry looked stunned but a tired smile lit up Draco's face. "Thank you," Draco said sincerely. He grabbed Harry's hand and let them to the couch, looking at his mother expectantly. His smile brightened a bit when she sat down as well.

"Harry?" Remus called. He stepped into the living a moment later, guiding Sirius into the room.

Sirius looked awful. His eyes were red-rimmed and the skin underneath was dark with sleeplessness and anxiety. Harry had only seen Sirius in such a state a few times, and it broke his heart each time.

Sirius was haunted by the deaths of James and Lily and memories of Azkaban tormented him. He had been improving, but some days were just too hard. Nightmares plagued him. On the worst days, he couldn't bring himself to speak or do much of anything aside from weeping.

Sirius felt guilty for keeping Remus up throughout the night. But, he knew that his wonderful husband was glad to be there for him. Remus had just become sweeter and even more supportive since their wedding. Sirius was having fewer bad days now, but he really wanted to spare Remus the stress.

"Oh dear," Narcissa murmured, a worried frown appearing on her face.

"I know that you're not a cat anymore," Remus began, "but maybe he'll feel better with you, Harry."

"I'll help," Draco offered.

"Right," Harry nodded, standing up. "Mrs. Malfoy would you get a blanket for him? Remus I need you to floo call Ron."

Narcissa and Remus were quick to obey as Draco grabbed the pillows from the couch and set them on the floor. Harry coaxed Sirius' shaking form to sit down on the pillows. Harry and Draco transformed without a word.

In the next moment, Orion and Centauri were nuzzling Sirius. Centauri nudged Sirius firmly until the man curled onto his side. Narcissa returned and carefully draped the blanket over Sirius.

Centauri pressed his body close to Sirius' back while Orion settled himself in front of Sirius. Orion leaned against Sirius stomach, allowing him to shift between nuzzling Sirius and leaning over to groom Centauri's lovely white face.

Ron came through the floo hastily with the twins and Ginny following closely. At Remus' questioning look, Ron smiled slightly. "I have part of the pack living with me. It seemed wise to bring them along," he shrugged.

"I appreciate it," Remus murmured. "Sirius is-" His voice broke and he looked away. It had been awful to witness Sirius' shouts and tears as his memories assaulted him. Remus was exhausted but he couldn't rest knowing that his husband was suffering.

"Just relax," Ron said quietly. He walked into the living room, taking in the sight of the two wolves cuddling Sirius. Without a second thought, Ron joined them on the floor. Ginny moved closer and settled in to pet Sirius' dark hair. The twins crowded in, their hands lightly stroking soft fur.

"They need a den," Ginny said suddenly. "That would feel more secure."

Remus and Narcissa exchanged a bewildered look but didn't comment. Sirius seemed content enough at the moment, so they returned to the dining room to have some tea.

Some time later, they went into the living room only to find that Sirius and the teenagers were gone. Somewhat alarmed, Remus hurried up the stairs with Narcissa close behind.

Fred and George had made a sort of "den" in Harry's room. They'd sectioned off a corner of the room with wall and a low ceiling. Through the opening, Remus could see bedding and cushions arranged on the floor.

Sirius had transformed into his dog form and was curled up on the cushions. Orion and Centauri were stretched out on either side of him. Orion's head rested over Padfoot's neck while Centauri was licking over Padfoot's face methodically. Ron, Ginny, Fred and George relaxed just outside the opening, occasionally reaching in to scratch one of the canines behind the ears.

Remus stared in wonder, marveling at the way these teens functioned like a pack with barely a word between them. It was beautiful to witness. Ron had heeded the call of his Alphas without question or hesitation. And he'd brought more wolves along in anticipation of whatever the Alphas needed.

The magic that seemed to spill out of the den was warm and soothing. Narcissa didn't think she'd ever felt anything like it. "Are Draco and Harry doing that?" she asked quietly.

Remus nodded absently. "No wonder Lucius is so afraid of them," he murmured. "And even Severus seems... rather impressed. It's like they can use their magic as easily as taking a breath."

It was an hour later that Padfoot stretched and slowly stepped out of the den. Orion and Centauri followed, watching him attentively. The Weasleys held still, curious about what would happen next.

Padfoot approached the two wolves, suddenly realizing that they were bigger than he was. They'd saved him from himself without speaking a single word. He took a tentative step toward them and then made a show of crouching down before them submissively, his tail tucked between his legs. When Orion lowered his head, Padfoot immediately licked the black wolf's snout. Then Padfoot gave a short whine, prompting Centauri to come close as well.

Padfoot was just a big black dog. But he understood the dynamics in a wolf pack. He'd done a bit of research once Harry had told him about the pack. Something about the Alpha pair inspired a sort of devotion that was enviable. And though he'd never indulged in such an impulse before, Padfoot had thought nothing of submitting to the dominance of the Alphas.

Sirius finally returned to his human form feeling tired but calm. He looked over at Harry and Draco as they stood up and stretched. "Are you alright now Sirius?" Harry asked, placing a hand on Sirius' shoulder with a worried frown.

Sirius smiled. "Your pack magic did the trick," he said lightly. "Thank you," he added, looking around at the other five teens. "You're all amazing." They beamed in response.

"This is brilliant," Draco noted, looking over the den.

"We had Dobby get us some materials and he helped us build this," Fred explained.

"Thought it might make you feel better about being away from the Pups," George added, smiling sympathetically.

"Thank you," Harry said gratefully.

With Sirius feeling better, the Weasleys returned home with a promise to visit soon. Remus was delighted to see his husband looking so much calmer.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Remus murmured, kissing Sirius' temple gently. He paused, sniffling curiously before chuckling. "You smell very strongly of Harry and Draco."

"They're shockingly potent, even for Alphas," Sirius commented. He caught the self-conscious look that Harry and Draco exchanged. "I don't mean that it's a bad thing. You smell nice, but it's oddly compelling. I don't generally have a pack instinct. But I found myself exhibiting submissive behavior without any real dominant display from either of you." He paused, giving Remus a thoughtful look. "I wonder if they'd be good for Moony."

Remus looked startled by the idea, but he couldn't deny his curiosity. It was certainly worth consideration. They'd have to think it through carefully before testing the idea though. Even while on wolfsbane, there was the risk that Moony would strongly object to the presence of an Alpha pair of wolves.

HP~DM

Draco carefully tipped the fresh biscuits from the baking sheet to a plate. Dumbledore had taken Harry along for a sort of "mission", so Draco had stayed behind to do some baking with Remus. Draco was still very hurt over the fight with his father, but spending some time with Remus was calming. Remus and Sirius had taken to showing Draco the sort of affection that they offered Harry. Draco's heart still ached, but he was so grateful.

Blaise sat at the counter next to Sirius, eyeing the biscuits hungrily. Blaise's mother was too preoccupied with her newest husband to be overly concerned with where Blaise spent the summer. So, as Draco's spirits remained low, Harry extended an invitation for Blaise to join them.

"Never thought I'd see you baking," Blaise noted, poking tentatively at a biscuit and withdrawing hastily when it burned his finger.

"It's sort of relaxing," Draco said with a little shrug. He waved one hand toward the plate vaguely. "Try again."

Blaise reached out again to find that the biscuits were now cooled. "That's creepy," he commented, picking up a biscuit and humming as he bit into it. He passed one to Sirius as well.

Draco moved the plate out of their reach. "Those are for after dinner," he chided.

"We may as well get started on that," Remus said. "Harry will be back with Dumbledore soon."

Blaise and Sirius moved away to search through the library. They had decided to find as many useful spells as they could, no matter how obscure. The Order and the Wolf Pack needed as many advantages as they could get.

Narcissa and Minerva were working on something as well but they'd pretty tight-lipped about it. They disappeared together frequently, sometimes moving to an empty part of the house and occasionally leaving the house altogether. Whatever had them so occupied was obviously important, but they stubbornly waved off questions and concerns.

When Harry returned, he immediately hugged Draco. "I'm fine Harry," Draco murmured, smiling slightly. "How was your mission?"

"Successful," Dumbledore answered before Harry could speak. "Harry was able to convince Horace Slughorn to return to Hogwarts to teach."

Remus paused in stirring the cheerfully bubbling red sauce on the hob. "Slughorn?" he questioned. "You're bringing him back to teach Potions?"

"What?" Draco yelped, dismayed. "But Snape-"

"Will be taking the Defense classes," Dumbledore assured him.

Draco frowned. He supposed that wasn't so bad. Snape had always wanted to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. And if Slughorn turned out to be a dreadful teacher, Snape would still be around. "Good for Professor Snape," he said with a little nod.

"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed. "He's quite pleased. And this will keep the Ministry out of Hogwarts. For the time being anyway."

Remus gave Dumbledore a questioning look but didn't comment as he and Draco finished their dinner preparations.

Once the meal had been eaten, they all settled themselves in the living room. Dumbledore had grown more quiet and pensive as the evening had progressed. He frowned and then looked at Harry and Draco.

"There are some things that I need to tell you," he said regretfully. "I had hoped to spare you, but it seems that I will need your help."

Dumbledore took in a deep breath and then began to talk. He told them about collecting memories of Tom Riddle to identify and locate the horcruxes. The reason he'd taken Harry to convince Slughorn to return to Hogwarts was because Dumbledore hoped that Harry could convince the professor to share a particular memory of a young Tom Riddle.

And then Dumbledore spoke about the Hallows and his own obsession with them as a teenager. He told of his close friendship with Gellert Grindelwald. The fact that Dumbledore had eventually become Grindelwald's lover had been shocking, but explained why he'd waited so long to defeat the dark wizard. Together the pair had been enamored with their own power and sought to gain more through the three Hallows. Albus and Gellert had parted ways when they were confronted by Dumbledore's brother Aberforth and a stray curse had killed Dumbledore's sister, Ariana.

Grindelwald had managed to find one Hallow, the Elder Wand, and had used it in his reign of terror. Dumbledore took the wand when he defeated Grindelwald and he'd had it ever since.

As it turned out, Harry's cloak was one of the Hallows as well. It had been handed down through the generations. It was much better than any other invisibility cloak and wasn't showing any signs of wear despite its age.

"And then there's this," Dumbledore said gravely, holding out a large, old ring that had a crack in the dark stone. "This ring is from the Gaunt family. Tom Riddle's mother was a Gaunt. They were descendents of Salazar Slytherin." He handed the ring to Harry a bit reluctantly. "It was a horcrux. But it is also the third Hallow. The resurrection stone."

Draco's eyes widened in shock. "You mean, we have all three Hallows here? In this house?" he asked incredulously.

"That we do," Dumbledore nodded. "I very nearly put that ring on to use the stone. It's lucky that I thought to check... the curse on that horcrux would have resulted in a very painful death."

Harry shuddered at the idea, holding the ring back out to Dumbledore. The headmaster shook his head. "I cannot be trusted with this sort of power," Dumbledore said quietly. "My quest for power and my own arrogance resulted in the death of my sister and the estrangement of my brother. If there is anyone that can possess the Hallows without being consumed by them, it's you." He reached out and closed Harry's fingers over the ring. "That is why I want the Elder Wand to go to you if anything happens to me."

Harry's stomach churned unpleasantly. This all got more and more strange. He opened his hand and looked down at the old ring.

"Possessing all three would make Harry the master of death," Draco noted in a shaky voice.

"Seems fitting," Blaise commented.

"Harry doesn't need that," Draco objected.

"Of course," Dumbledore agreed with a nod. "But it's safer in his hands than anywhere else."

HP~DM

Harry felt Dumbledore's words like a weight in his chest. It was so much responsibility. The Deathly Hallows were not a burden that Harry wanted to bear. He set the Gaunt ring in a little box on his nightstand, not wanting to think about it for a while.

He and Draco had something else to worry about.

That night was the full moon, and Remus had beeen on edge for a few days. He paced constantly, restless and worried. He'd taken care to take his wolfsbane potion, but it didn't stop him from being terrified of hurting someone.

As the full moon made its appearance, Draco, Harry, Ron and Blaise waited outside the door of the basement. They could hear the snarling, growling and whimpering that accompanied Remus' gruesome transformation. When all was quiet, Harry opened the door and transformed, prompting Draco to do the same.

The two wolves slowly descended the stairs to the basement below. Ron and Blaise remained at the top of the stairs, ready to join when the Alpha's called them.

The basement was well lit and the air was cool. Moony was crouched against the far wall, his golden eyes focused on Orion and Centauri. Padfoot approached the two Alpha's keeping his head down and his belly low to the ground.

Orion gave the black dog a nudge and Padfoot shifted to sit calmly, now fully upright. Orion then began to slowly approach the werewolf. The werewolf let out a growl, shifting to take on a more aggressive posture.

As feared, Moony wasn't happy to be in the presence of the wolves. Somewhere in his mind was the awareness that it Harry and Draco, but the werewolf was too focused on territorial instincts.

Moony was bigger than Orion. If this came to a physical fight, Orion wouldn't win. But then Centauri moved in, close enough for his side to brush against his mate's.

Padfoot whined, his pleading eyes focused on Moony. He shuddered when he felt the warm tingle of magic flow calmly into the room. He looked to the Alphas expectantly.

Orion and Centauri stood together, their hackles raised as they growled viciously at the werewolf. Moony continued to snarl, but surprised them all when he sunk down and rolled over to expose his belly, his tail tucked between his legs. And then his snarling trailed off and stopped.

Orion and Centauri simply stood over him for a moment, keeping him in his submissive pose. And then Orion gently lapped at Moony's snout. Centauri mimicked the action, prompting the werewolf to slowly roll over and get back on his feet.

Padfoot moved toward the stairs and barked, drawing Ron and Blaise down. They halted at the foot of the stairs, fear racing through them when Moony growled. He was still settling from his brief battle for dominance. Luckily the wolfsbane was doing its job and Remus was able to restrain him impulse to charge at the new intruders.

It also helped that Orion snapped his teeth threateningly the moment the snarl escaped Moony's throat. Moony fell silent and curled up on the floor. His eyes remained on Ron and Blaise, but he kept still. Orion sat next to him calmly.

"Wow-" Ron said breathlessly. "You did it. You got a werewolf to submit."

"Well, to be fair, Remus is using wolfsbane," Blaise commented reasonably. "But still, it's impressive. And pretty damn useful."

"Can we touch it?" Ron asked curiously. He wasn't sure he actually wanted to touch the werewolf, but he was terribly curious. It was odd to see a werewolf curled up and looking docile.

Orion responded with a growl.

"Okay, no touching the werewolf," Blaise said. "He's accepted the Alphas but we shouldn't push it right now." He waved his wand to transfigured an old crate into a sofa. He and Ron sat down, content to wait with the wolves.

The next morning, Remus woke up naked and very sore. Sirius was back in his human form and had draped himself over Remus, preserving his husband's modesty. "Sirius?" Remus asked, his voice hoarse. "Is everyone alright?"

"Everyone's fine," Sirius assured him. "Orion and Centauri had everything under control. Ron and Blaise even felt safe enough to fall asleep."

Remus looked around and spotted Ron and Blaise yawning and stretching. Next to the couch, the two wolves were snuggling together, but they were awake and looking at Remus intently. Remus drew in a shuddering breath, propping himself up on one elbow to focus on the pair. "How did you do it?" he asked, his eyes wide.

Harry and Draco returned to human form, stretching lazily before slipping back into a comfortable embrace. "We used our magic to help keep you calm," Harry said, running his fingers up and down Draco's spine. "To keep everyone calm really," he amended.

"I felt... safe," Remus said slowly. "I've never had such a... comforting experience during the full moon. Submitting to your Alpha status felt natural. The two of you together..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head.

"This is huge," Blaise said, standing up excitedly. "You pulled a real werewolf into your pack."

"A werewolf on wolfsbane," Harry reminded him.

"Even so," Blaise responded with a dismissive wave. "It's a big deal. And I think you should use this ability to our advantage. You know that Voldemort is going to try and get to the werewolves, vampires and Giants. And there have already been death eater attacks all over the country."

"We need to be prepared to fight back," Ron added grimly. "The Order of the Phoenix isn't enough and they know it. The Wolf Pack is needed. Not the pups," he added hastily at Draco's stricken expression. "The pups just need to be able to defend themselves; enough to get to safety if there's a problem."

Draco sighed, but nodded reluctantly. "We've got to be prepared for everything," he muttered. "This year needs to be spent learning everything we can and talking strategy."

"You shouldn't have to do that," Sirius grumbled, wrapping Remus in a blanket as they got to their feet. "You're kids. The adults should be shielding you from all this. Instead you've been shoved into the middle," he said, his voice breaking as he looked down.

Harry released Draco to hug Sirius tightly. "You're a good dad," Harry murmured quietly. "You both are. And Minnie is a good mum. But this isn't going to be something you can shelter me from. Voldemort is relentless. All we can do is fight through this together."

Sirius nodded, stroking over Harry's hair gently. "I love you, son," Sirius murmured. "And my loyalty is to you. And Blondie," he added with a smile at Draco. "I will do whatever it takes to guide and protect you."

"We're proud of you Pup," Remus put in, leaning tiredly against Sirius. "I love you more than anything." He sighed happily as he was drawn into the hug between Sirius and Harry.

Draco shook his head. "What a bunch of Hufflepuffs," he muttered, though his gaze was fond.

"That's rich," Blaise snorted. "When it comes to Harry, you're the biggest sap in the world. You turn into mush over him." He and Ron guffawed at Draco's embarrassed flush.

"Oi! That's my sap you're teasing," Harry chided, making Draco blush even more.

"Harry..." Draco groaned covering his face with his hands. It just made Ron and Blaise cackle even more.

HP~DM

Remus' recovery from the full moon was much easier than it had ever been. Any lingering restlessness was soothed by the Alphas. Even in human form, their presence was calming and protective. It made resting easier and the lack of muscle tension made it all less painful.

"I don't condone the enormous risk," Minerva said sternly. Her expression softened a bit as she glanced at Remus cuddled up against Sirius. "But I am glad that you can ease Remus' suffering."

"Now that we know it'll work," Harry said, "we'll try getting him outside to run for a bit next full moon. Release some of that energy."

"And it's good for Pack bonding," Draco added.

"Are you expanding the Pack?" Narcissa asked uncertainly.

"We're considering it," Draco replied. "We're going to need to extend our reach beyond Hogwarts."

Before anything else could be said, there was a sharp tap at the window. A stern looking owl had arrived with a letter clutched in its talons. When Sirius opened the window, the owl flew in and dropped the letter at Draco's feet before flying away again.

"Rude bird," Draco grumbled, bending to retrieve the letter. His heart thudded in his chest as he recognized the image of the Malfoy crest on the dark green wax seal. His hands shook as he opened the letter. He shot his mother a grateful look when she moved closer and put an arm across his shoulders so they could read together.

Harry watched Draco's face carefully, anxiety welling up within him. The room had gone far too quiet, everyone watching the two Malfoys expectantly.

"Oh god," Draco choked out, squeezing his eyes shut and clapping his hand over his mouth.

"It's alright my dragon," Narcissa crooned, though her expression was devastated. "It'll be okay."

"What is it?" Ron asked worriedly.

"He did it," Draco whispered absently before turning his tear filled gaze to his friends. "I've been disowned. Disinherited... I-" He pulled away from his mother abruptly and bolted up the stairs.

Harry was crying silently, his heart aching with Draco's loss.

"That's terrible," Blaise commented sadly.

"It's a good thing that I set up a separate vault for Draco," Narcissa muttered. "It's not the wealth he's accustomed too, but it will sustain him for a little while if he's careful."

"And we're all here for him," Remus said. "He won't want for anything."

"It's not about the money," Harry said quietly. "Draco is heartbroken because he loves his father. He wanted to be a good son and make his father proud."

"Lucius Malfoy is a stupid tosser," Ron snapped. "He has plenty of reasons to be proud of Draco."

"He's a wonderful young man," Minerva added softly.

Narcissa was silent, staring at the letter in sadness and disbelief.

Harry stood still for a moment, regaining his conposure. Once he was calmer, he made his way up the stairs. Draco's pain was throbbing in Harry's mind, and Harry was desperate to soothe him.

Draco had gone to Harry's room instead of his own. He was curled up on the bed, weeping bitterly into the pillow. Harry climbed onto the bed and pulled Draco close.

Harry cradled Draco's head on his shoulder and stroked over his back gently. His shirt grew damp with tears, but he ignored it. Harry closed his eyes and focused on his magic and his bond with Draco.

Draco was better at working through their bond. But Harry could do this. He could feel the warmth of Draco's soul and magic. It was a startlingly intimate gesture, to reach out intentionally to touch another person's soul, but it felt so natural to do so with Draco.

Draco's tears slowed and he met Harry's gaze mournfully. "You are amazing," Harry said gently. "And I'm sorry that your father can't see that yet."

Draco abruptly yanked Harry into a searing kiss. The sudden fierce passion was staggering and Harry was quite grateful that they were on the bed. Draco's hands slid up into Harry's hair, clutching at it as he pressed even closer. It was the most arousing kiss that Harry had experienced do far... Until he felt tears on his face.

Harry gentled the kiss but kept Draco firmly wrapped in his arms. He slid one leg between Draco's, eager to increase their contact. His tongue slid into Draco's mouth, caressing slowly. The kiss had gone from intense and heated to soft and loving.

"I'm right here," Harry murmured against Draco's lips. "I love you and I will never leave you."

Draco nodded, pressing their lips together again. He'd known that being disowned was a possibility. He'd thought that he'd mentally prepared himself for such an event. But the reality was crushing. He felt as if Harry's arms were the only thing holding him together.

Sirius, Remus, Minerva and Narcissa entered the room an hour later. They paused in the doorway, seeing Draco and Harry snuggled up together.

"Draco, are you alright?" Narcissa asked.

Draco hesitated and then shook his head. He wasn't going to pretend. He felt abandoned and heartbroken. He hadn't given a single thought to the loss of his inheritance. He was too consumed with grief over the loss of his father.

"It's terrible that you should be forced to suffer such a thing," Remus said gently, approaching the bed and nudging at Harry to make room so he could sit. Harry and Draco sat up to rest against the headboard. "We want you to know that we're all here for you."

Minerva sat at the foot of the bed and patted Draco's leg fondly while Sirius leaned against the headboard at Draco's side. "We love you Pup," Sirius said sincerely, "and not just because you make Harry so happy. Nothing will change that."

"We think of you as family," Minerva added.

"We're just waiting for you two to get married to make it official," Sirius smirked, laughing when Harry and Draco blushed.

"We know that it doesn't make up for what your father has done," Remus said softly. "But please never doubt that you're loved an appreciated."

Draco looked around at Harry's three guardians and his own mother. He still couldn't bring himself to speak just yet, but he was grateful. He was even more grateful when Sirius wrapped him up in a hug. He loved the idea of being welcomed into Harry's unorthodox family. When Sirius finally released him, he noticed that Remus was hugging Narcissa. Draco knew that she was hurting as well, and it was nice to see that she was being taken care of.

"Now, if you're feeling up to it," Minerva said lightly, "Ron and Blaise have a surprise for you. Do you feel up to visitors?"

Draco glanced at Harry and then nodded. He waited while the adults vacated the bed and left the room, wondering who was visiting. It was probably the twins and Ginny.

Draco was right about that, but they weren't the only visitors. Ron and Blaise had brought Hermione, Luna, Neville, Adrien, Dean and Seamus. They'd wanted to invite Vince and Greg, but their fathers were death eaters, making it far too risky.

Draco climbed off the bed, gladly allowing himself to be engulfed in a group hug. For a moment his mind stopped focusing on how he could have been a better son; how he could have made his father proud of him without compromising his own values. In that moment, he let the Wolves offer him comfort.

"We're really sorry about your father mate," Dean said solemnly. "We wanted to be here for you."

"We'll always be here for you," Ginny added.

"How long are you staying?" Harry asked, offering Luna a quick hug.

"A few days," Adrien supplied. "We might as well hang around for your birthday. Then I'm off to my internship at the Ministry. But, I'll stay in touch with the Pack."

"Thank you," Draco said softly, finally breaking his silence and looking around at his friends. "I'm glad you're all here."

"We wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Ron said, patting Draco on the back. He was pleased when Draco offered a tiny smile in return.


	33. Talking Business

Having some of the Wolves around did Draco a lot of good. The house was a little crowded since members of the Order of the Phoenix were constantly coming and going. But all the hustle and bustle helped Draco to pull his focus away from his disappointment to spend time with his friends. His father may not want him, but he was surrounded with people that loved him. And Harry's mixed up family treated Draco like one of their own.

It did become a little awkward at the house when Viktor Krum showed up. The Bulgarian was completely smitten and eager to spend time with Ron. Blaise resigned himself to tolerating Viktor's presence, but catching the pair sharing a tender kiss had been too much for him. He'd made a vague excuse and hurried outside to get some fresh air.

Draco and Harry felt terrible for Blaise. But they were also happy for Ron. Ron's smile when Viktor first showed up at the house had been full of delight.

"We should check on Blaise," Harry said quietly, taking Draco's hand and leading him from the room. They made it outside only to find that Neville had already taken a seat next to Blaise under a large willow tree. The couple approached them, only to freeze and duck behind a bush when they heard Neville speak.

"You really like him, huh?" Neville asked quietly.

Blaise turned his head to look at Neville in surprise. He was rather grateful for his dark skin, knowing that it made his blush a bit less obvious. "I don't-"

"It's alright," Neville assured him, cutting off Blaise's denial. "I know some of the Slytherins like to think that Gryffindors are mostly just oblivious brutes. But that's certainly not the case with me. I notice little things when you're around Ron. And I can see that you're hurting right now," he added quietly.

Blaise sighed, tilting his head back to rest against rough tree bark. His eyes were focused on the horizon, but he could feel Neville's gaze upon his face. "I want Ron to be happy," he said firmly, as if reassuring himself. "I just hoped- I wanted it to be with me. But, he's- He's mad about Viktor, isn't he?"

"Maybe a little," Neville chuckled softly. He turned a gentle smile to Blaise. "We've got our lives ahead of us. You're a great bloke with a lot to offer. Before long, someone is going to snap you up."

Blaise smiled slightly, his body relaxing a bit. "Thanks Neville," he murmured. "I really appreciate it."

"I'm happy to try and cheer you up," Neville replied. "I can't stand to see you looking so down." There was a moment's hesitation and then he slowly and deliberately leaned close to press his lips to Blaise's cheek. He lingered just a moment before pulling away and moving to return to the house.

Blaise stared at Neville with a gobsmacked expression. Before Neville could get away, he steadied himself enough to speak. "What happened to shy, nervous Neville?"

Neville turned just enough to look at Blaise over his shoulder, a coy smile tilting on his lips. "He became a wolf," he answered with wink. He continued on his way feeling slightly embarrassed, but mostly pleased with himself.

Once Neville was inside, Draco and Harry stumbled around the bush, cackling. Blaise stared at them, flustered and embarrassed.

"Oh my..." Draco giggled.

"What the hell, Neville?" Harry laughed. "Did you see that look he gave? Sweet Merlin."

"Why are you two spying on me?" Blaise sighed.

"We were coming to check on you," Harry replied. "But we heard Neville mention... you know-"

"We didn't want to make it more awkward," Draco explained. "But then Neville made it really interesting," he added with a grin.

"Shut it," Blaise grumbled, getting up and walking back toward the house. He offered a little smile when Draco and Harry draped their arms over his shoulders.

Back inside the house, they quickly found their friends in Harry's room, talking excitedly while Hermione made notes on a sheet of parchment. "Oh good, you're here," Ron said, waving them over. "We've got some ideas and we need your approval."

Harry and Draco sat down on Harry's bed, making themselves comfortable. Blaise moved to find a spot on the floor, pausing when Neville waved him over. Neville had left a space open and set a cushion down, just for Blaise. Blaise carefully stepped around his friends to sit down, next to Neville. They exchanged tentative smiles before focusing on the others.

"So, first order of business," Hermione said seriously, "Viktor has bought a house here. He would like to help you branch out."

"In what way?" Harry asked politely, shifting his gaze to Viktor.

"I haf many contacts," Viktor replied. "You need more allies; more people to fight for what is right."

"Agreed," Draco nodded slowly.

"I can help you spread your... Pack's influence," Viktor said. "Teach me. And I will teach others."

"You want to be in the Pack?" Draco asked.

"I do," Viktor replied with a short nod. "A branch of the Pack, at least."

"That's... brilliant, actually," Harry murmured. "Having sub-groups, and allies."

"We did say that we needed to prepare for everything," Hermione mentioned. "A network would be useful. We'd have to be very selective though. I think an underground network would be our best course of action."

"Of course," Viktor agreed. "I will be discrete."

For a moment, they all talked quietly among themselves. They had no way of knowing what would happen if a war started. And war seemed almost certain at this point.

"This isn't even your country," Dean commented, peering at Viktor thoughtfully. "Why would you get involved?"

Viktor smiled, and glanced at Ron. "My heart is here," he responded, entwining their fingers. Ron blushed and smiled.

"That is so sweet," Ginny whispered while Luna nodded with a vague smile.

Blaise looked down, his stomach aching with disappointment. Beside him, Neville shifted to allow them to sit shoulder to shoulder. Blaise didn't dare to look at the Gryffindor, but a tiny reluctant smile formed on his lips.

"I think it's a good idea," Harry declared. "We'll work out the details with you."

"Thank you, Alpha Orion," Viktor responded with a nod.

Harry blushed at the use of that title, but recovered quickly. "What's next?" he prompted.

Hermione looked back down at her list, smiling as Fred casually pushed her hair aside to lightly kiss her shoulder. "We would like to have a mark of our own," she announced, looking over at the Alphas. "The Death Eaters use the Dark Mark on their arms and the one they put in the sky when they make an attack." She frowned in thought. "What if we did the same thing? But in a good way."

"For what purpose?" Draco asked.

"To inspire hope," Hermione responded, her eyes bright.

"And what is your symbol of hope?"

"The wolves," Seamus answered eagerly. "Two wolves, like your patronuses. We thought that maybe Sirius and Remus could help us come up with the incantation. They're brilliant."

"I think we could manage that. Are all of you in agreement?" he asked, looking around at the others. He was satisfied when they all nodded.

"Next," Hermione went on primly, "Fred and George have presented an offer to develop products for the Pack and our allies."

"Our joke shop opens next week," Fred said proudly. "We've got a great range of products for jokes and pranks."

"But we also have some that would be good for causing a diversion or creating an escape route," George added. "We'd be glad to make stuff for everyone. If Voldemort manages to get any sort of hold on the Ministry, we may all end up on the run or in hiding. We'd like to do our part."

It was a sobering thought. There was no doubt that Voldemort would seek to control the government. It was just a matter of time.

"Thank you, Fred and George," Draco said with a prim little nod. "We appreciate your efforts."

Harry smiled. "You're enjoying this," he said, nudging Draco playfully.

"It's sort of fun," Draco admitted. "Presiding over a meeting like a king or a general."

"And we are your humble subjects, Alpha Centauri," Fred teased. George snorted.

"No, you're my friends," Draco laughed. "And it's my job to make decisions that will keep you as safe as possible. I am really enjoying the title though," he admitted with a grin.

"Anything else Hermione?" Harry asked.

"That's all for the moment," she replied crisply.

"Alright," Harry nodded. "Really good ideas guys. Keep up the good work," he praised.

Harry watched his friends as they continued to chat with one another. They really worked well together and had come up with a lot of clever ideas. He hated that it was in preparation for war. They were teenagers. Their main concerns were meant to be homework and dating. Instead, the people scattered around Harry's bedroom were preparing themselves to become warriors.

Harry hadn't thought much about the big picture in regards to the Pack. He'd been far too focused on making sure that everyone could defend themselves and pass exams. Now he was realizing that he and Draco were generals of an army that they'd built by accident. It was a terrifying thought. This was much bigger than OWL exams. This was life or death, and they were planning to march toward it head-on.

"This meeting looks like a lot more fun then ours," Sirius said, poking his head through the door.

"You could have joined us," Ron pointed out. "You and Remus are part of our Pack."

"Thanks," Sirius grinned. "I've got to meet with the Order though." He looked over at Harry and Draco apologetically. "Dumbledore asked for me to bring you two in. It shouldn't take long."

Harry and Draco followed him down the stairs and into the dining room. The table had been enlarged and chairs had been added. Tonks waved enthusiastically at them as they entered, her hair an alarming shade of pink. Mad-Eye was peering at them expectantly. Snape acknowledged them with a single raised eyebrow. There were a few others present that Harry had seen before but never talked to.

This meeting was much larger than their's had been. Harry shifted nervously, wandering why they'd been summoned. The Order had previously been adamant about keeping underage people out. The twins were now old enough, but they'd been more interested in the Pack.

"What are they here for?" Mad-Eye asked gruffly. "They're just kids."

Draco folded his arms in annoyance, but didn't comment. Harry shoved his hands in his pocket sheepishly.

"These kids," Dumbledore said with a smile, "have started a resistance group of their own. And they're rather impressive. Severus has been overseeing their training at Hogwarts."

"What training?" Tonks asked curiously.

Dumbledore nodded to Snape meaningfully. Snape cleared his throat and stood up. "Draco and Harry have mastered a shocking number of spells. Their control is unlike anything I've ever seen. They have been using non-verbal spells for months." He paused, a smirk creeping onto his face. "They are now capable of wandless magic."

That certainly caused a stir throughout the Order members present. The primary reaction was disbelief.

"Accidental magic doesn't count Snape," Mad-Eye said tersely.

"Oh, I assure you... It is completely intentional," Snape replied calmly. "They have a frightening level of control over their own magic."

"And how convenient that they're too young to demonstrate this ability," Mad-Eye growled.

Dumbledore frowned. "I have witnessed it myself," he said sharply. "I do not understand this hostility, Alastor."

"We have a war brewing," Mad-Eye snapped. "This isn't the time for messing about with children."

"These children deserve your respect," Minerva snapped, getting to her feet so quickly that she nearly knocked her chair over. "There are certain things in play here that are not to be shared with the group. You have no idea what these boys are capable of." She drew in a deep breath through her nose, fixing a steely glare on the ex-Auror. "And I would think twice before speaking so dismissively of my son again."

Draco wrapped one arm around Harry's waist, his expression smug. Harry pressed his face to Draco's shoulder, hiding a pleased smile. He just loved his fiercely protective Minnie.

Mad-Eye closed his mouth and said nothing further. Dumbledore eyed Minerva warily before addressing the group again. Minerva, Molly and Narcissa all continued to glare at Mad-Eye.

"The Wolf Pack is made up mostly of students," Dumbledore explained, looking around at everyone calmly. "They've begun expanding their reach and preparing themselves to fight. I realize that it isn't ideal, but we do need them," he added regretfully.

"Why?" someone asked anxiously.

"It would be best if that is left untold," Dumbledore murmured. "During the last war, we had a mole among us. It's best to not to risk another betrayal."

Harry sighed in relief. He hadn't wanted the truth about his connection with Draco to be public knowledge. Their bond was private and so very precious. He didn't want to cheapen it by making it fodder for gossip.

"So, if we can't know their secrets, why are they here?" Mad-Eye asked, motioning to Harry and Draco.

"There will be times when we'll need to coordinate with the Wolf Pack," Dumbledore responded. "We won't be able to leave Harry and Draco in the dark. They need whatever information we can offer them."

"Do they need protection as well?" Mad-Eye prodded. Luckily, he sounded concerned rather than suspicious and indignant.

"Not at this time," Dumbledore answered. "But thank you, and we will alert you should that change."

Harry and Draco sat down at the table, resigning themselves to sitting through the meeting. There had been a few disappearances and several death attributed to Voldemort's followers. There was suspicion of at least one ministry worker being Imperiused.

Draco listened carefully as the Order continued the meeting. He kept his arm wrapped around Harry, aware that his boyfriend was rather tense. He imagined that Harry was a little nervous and overwhelmed. They hadn't anticipated being included in the Order's meeting, but Draco felt grateful for Dumbledore's sudden need to offer full disclosure.

At the end of the meeting, the group dispersed. Molly kissed Harry and Draco on the tops of their heads lovingly as she passed. Soon, the teens were left with their parents and Dumbledore.

"So, do you have any questions?" Dumbledore asked them, gazing at them placidly.

Draco hummed thoughtfully. "I don't think so," he said slowly. "We appreciate you being so open with us." He smiled slightly when Harry nodded his agreement.

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "It's the least I could do," he murmured. "If I had been more open with you about some things, you would have suffered a bit less. I truly only wanted you to be safe and happy," he added, meeting Harry's eyes.

Harry left his seat and hugged the headmaster. Dumbledore had been like a grandfather for many years. And Harry understood the desire to shield children from frightening or sensitive subjects. "Thank you for trusting me with all this," Harry said, pulling away to look Dumbledore in the eye.

"You deserve my trust," Dumbledore replied solemnly. "You and Draco have worked so hard and risked so much. And I regret my need to rely so heavily on such young wizards. But, Voldemort isn't going to allow you to live your life in peace, no matter what I do." He sighed as Harry say back down next to Draco. "And that brings me to the final piece of information that I wish to share today."

Snape pulled out his wand and cast a spell to temporarily seal the room from intrusion or eavesdropping. When he was done, he looked to Dumbledore, receiving a weary little nod.

"The Dark Lord has decided to kill Headmaster Dumbledore," Snape drawled, tucking his wand away.

"Why?" Harry yelped, dismayed. "I mean... I suppose it's an obvious move for him, but why now."

"He feels that the headmaster has you too heavily protected," Snape told Harry. "It is hardly a surprise. You spent several months with two Death Eaters as professors but made it to the end of the school year unscathed. The Dark Lord is not especially pleased with Lucius at the moment."

"What did Lucius tell him?" Narcissa asked worriedly.

"As far as I know, very little," Snape responded. "Lucius is the reason for the current assassination plot. He couldn't provide any information about you at all."

"Nothing?" Draco asked incredulously. "He started at Harry practically non-stop for months. He watched Harry perform spells as easily as breathing and he saw the wandless magic."

"It is strange indeed," Snape agreed. "And I intend to find out what is really going on. But for now, we need to focus on the assassin."

"We do not know their identity yet," Dumbledore added. "It may be that Voldemort has not made a final decision. But, we fear that he may select a student for this task."

Draco and Harry were alarmed by this suggestion. A child assassin? The thought was horrible, but they really couldn't put it past Voldemort to try something so despicable.

"What would you have us do?" Draco asked, grasping Harry's hand.

"I need the Wolves to keep an eye out," Dumbledore replied, his voice tinged with regret. "I'm less concerned for myself than I am for my students. Voldemort won't care about collateral damage if his assassin gets sloppy and hurts an innocent. I will do everything in my power to protect my students, but-"

"We have an advantage," Harry concluded. "We have wolves in each house and there are enough of us to make watching our for trouble easier."

"Discretion is imperative," Snape informed them. "We need to avoid causing a panic at Hogwarts. We don't want to alert the potential killer."

"Just please be careful," McGonagall urged them, finally speaking up. She didn't like this new plan at all. A glance at Narcissa, Sirius and Remus told her that they weren't thrilled about it either.

When they finally returned to their friends, Harry and Draco told them about the meeting and the unknown assassin. Their summary was met with worried expressions and lots of questions.

"We could make a few teams," Ron suggested. "Divide and conquer and all that. We've got each house covered and the teams can all be assigned to various parts of the castle to patrol and such."

"Won't that look suspicious?" Blaise asked. "Someone is bound to notice when the same four or five students are always skulking around one particular hallway."

Ron frowned, considering. They really needed to avoid detection.

"We could rotate the patrol areas," Hermione suggested. "Every week, we could swap each team's patrol area. That way, it's much less obvious."

"We could also periodically rotate the team members themselves," Neville added.

"Brilliant," Ron enthused. "It'll take a bit of work but I think giving the teams a bit of a shuffle will keep us from getting caught." He turned to Draco and Harry for their input.

"Sounds good," Harry said, relieved. "Thank you Ron."

"I agree. Great work Ron," Draco added.

Ron flushed with pride and Viktor squeezed his hand lightly. "I vish that I could be there to help you," Viktor muttered, eyeing Ron sadly. "I vant to be there for you."

"Me too," Adrien said. "Uh, not Ron specifically," he added hastily, making everyone chuckle. "But, I won't be at Hogwarts."

"You can still help," Hermione pointed out. "You and Viktor can be our eyes outside of Hogwarts. Coordinate with each other. Expanding the reach of the pack won't be easy."

"I have my job at the Ministry and Viktor has Quidditch," Adrien reminded her. "It might be difficult to meet."

Hermione pondered that for a moment. Then she grinned. "I might have something that will help," she said. "Just give me some time to see if I can manage it. Otherwise, you can send owls and make floo calls."

Viktor nodded reassuringly to Adrien. "Ve vill vork it out," he said confidently. "I like to make sure that I'm available for Ron anyvay." He emphasized his point by pressing a little kiss to the red head's temple. Ron blushed but happily leaned into the contact.

Blaise felt a hand gently squeeze his own, prompting him to look away from the affectionate display. He found Neville gazing at him with an understanding smile. Neville gave his hand another little squeeze before withdrawing.

"Now that we have that settled," Neville said, "we can focus on celebrating Harry's birthday."

This effectively shifted everyone's focus and they began to chatter happily about the party planned for the next day while Harry looked flustered. He didn't handle being the center of attention nearly as well as Draco did.

Blaise was grateful that the topic change gave him a moment to take a steadying breath. The affection between Viktor and Ron made his stomach churn unpleasantly and his chest ache. Neville's redirection allowed Blaise to regain his composure without being obvious.

Blaise hadn't really thought much about Neville before. He was rather quiet for a Gryffindor and he'd been perpetually nervous in earlier years. But Neville had flourished under the patient guidance of the Alphas. Blaise was proud to call him a friend and fellow pack member.

Those few moments under the willow tree had granted Blaise a new perspective of the Gryffindor. Neville was kind and certainly not bad to look at. He'd sought Blaise out to offer encouragement and a sweet kiss on the cheek. It made Blaise feel warm but also a bit confused. Had that been Neville's way of declaring his own affections? Or was he just being a good friend? One could never be too careful when it involved interpreting the actions of Gryffindors.

HP~DM

Harry's birthday party had been wonderful. Harry felt so very loved. Several of the Wolves that couldn't be present had sent gifts or letters. The Pups had been especially exuberant in send Harry best wishes on his birthday.

The Weasleys had all come to celebrate with Harry. Bill brought Fleur Delacour with him since they had just gotten engaged. Even Charlie had left Romania to attend the party.

It had been a day full of amazing food, gifts and laughter. For a little while, the fight against Voldemort hadn't mattered. Harry allowed himself to bask in the powerful love he felt for the people that he'd chosen to be his family.

The day had been concluded with a far more sobering encounter. Snape had stopped by the house once the party had ended and made a request to speak with Harry.

Snape had been debating with himself over the wisdom of approaching Harry. He wasn't keen to share any part of his past with his student. But, the coming war was forcing his hand. To gain Harry Potter's trust, Snape was going to need to be open and honest. There were painful memories that would have to be faced.

The conversation that resulted was... distressing. Snape had come to confess his own part in the death of the Potters. He'd overheard a portion of the prophecy and taken the information to Voldemort. Snape had been horrified when Voldemort targeted the Potters. Lily had been his childhood best friend, and in a desperate bid to protect her, he had warned Dumbledore. But, going into hiding hadn't been enough to save them. Peter Pettigrew had betrayed them and Harry had become an orphan on one Halloween night.

Wracked with misery and guilt, Snape had agreed to spy on Voldemort for the Order. He'd also promised to do everything in his power to protect Harry.

Harry had listened to the story silently, his tears falling unchecked. His family had become a direct target because Snape told Voldemort about the prophecy. The thought was almost too much to bear. He had trusted Snape as his Head of House and a mentor. Harry had nearly been killed as an infant because of the man's mistakes.

And yet... Even in the haze of Harry's grief, he could see that Snape was grieving as well. Lily Potter had been his very best friend when they were young. Harry also got the feeling the Snape felt far more than friendship for Lily. But, it was probably best not to dwell on that.

Harry drew in a deep breath, lifting his head to look at his professor. The man was sitting perfectly still, his eyes downcast and his face now holding a neutral expression. "Why are you telling me all this?" Harry asked warily, his voice rough with tears.

"It is fitting that you know the truth," Snape replied, his voice a low rumble. "I must live with my disastrous mistakes and know that I will live the rest of my days knowing that I had a hand in killing my best friend." He swallowed hard, determined to remain composed. "I will not ask for your forgiveness because I am painfully aware that I do not deserve it. What I must ask for is your trust."

Harry stood up, his green eyes narrowed angrily. Snape was startled by the sudden fearful uncertainty that flashed through him. Harry was impressive and imposing when he wanted to be. Snape did his best to remain still, resisting the urge to grab his wand. If Harry thought he was even slightly threatening...

"Why the hell should I trust you?" Harry snarled, a nearby vase shattering.

Alarmed, Snape held his hands up in a placating gesture. "From the moment Voldemort attacked your home, I turned against him," Snape said calmly. "I vowed to protect you with my life and I will continue to do so. You are Lily's only child; the only piece of her that remains. I would die to keep you safe."

Harry growled in frustration, tugging at his hair before scrubbing his face with his hands. "I don't understand," he said roughly, his eyes growing wet again. "Why would you do this to me? Why drag all of this up? And on my birthday?"

Snape blinked and then looked down. "I did not consider- I apologize for spoiling your day. I made the decision to speak to you and then immediately acted on it," he admitted. He met Harry's eyes again. "The coming war is going to be difficult for everyone. I may have to do terrible things to maintain my cover. And... It is imperative that you know that whatever I do..." He faltered and looked away again. "It may be that I'll need to appear to betray Dumbledore and the Order. I need for you to know that it is a farce."

Harry swiped at his eyes angrily. He really hated crying. It made him exhausted and he hated displaying such vulnerability. His thoughts were muddled and his heart was aching.

"How am I going to trust you after what you've told me?" Harry asked, his tone dejected and tired.

Snape considered that, standing up and pacing the room. Harry's doubts were perfectly reasonable and justified. He turned to face his student resolutely. "The headmaster trusts you implicitly," Snape murmured. "He has offered you access to the Order and the information they keep. You hold two of the Deathly Hallows and are expected to gain the third if anything happens to Albus."

Harry stared at Snape, dumbfounded. "What's your point?" he asked warily.

"My loyalty is to you," Snape replied smoothly. "Surpassing my work for the Order and as a professor... I offer you my absolute loyalty."

Harry's eyebrows rose in disbelief. "I... have no idea what to do with that. You're choosing me because... you think I'll be more powerful than Voldemort or something?" The idea made Harry feel sick to his stomach.

Snape struggled for a moment, unsure of how to put words to his thoughts. "I do think that to be quite possible, in time," he admitted. "But, I've spent the last few years watching you grow into an impressive young man. You may have your father's face, but you have your mother's heart. And a determination to do what is right with little regard for your own comfort. I've spent years trying to make up for my mistakes. Falling in line with you would probably be the best choice I've made in quite some time."

This was too much. Professor Snape didn't say such things. "I- Why?" Harry sputtered. "Why are you doing this?"

"I told myself that I would protect you for Lily's sake," Snape answered sternly. "But I've come to understand that you are the sort of wizard that should be followed. I protected you for Lily. I will follow your lead because of who you are. On your own merit."

Harry sat back down, overwhelmed and exhausted. "I need Draco," he murmured.

Snape left the room wordlessly and returned a few monents later with Draco, Blaise, Ron and Hermione. They all listened as Snape repeated his tale and his intentions. Draco spent that time sitting on Harry's lap and stroking his dark hair lovingly. He paused occasionally, glancing at Snape pensively.

"So, what do we do with this?" Ron asked bluntly. "Are we willing to trust him?" Snape was a professor, but they weren't in school and the man had just confessed to being partly responsible for the Potters' deaths. Ron didn't care to be polite.

Hermione gave Ron a scandalized look for his disrespectful tone, but she didn't bother with a reprimand. Harry's obvious distress was upsetting and she was angry at their professor for that. "After all we've been through," she said carefully. "I feel confident enough to say that Professor Snape is not our enemy." She looked at Snape, her gaze stern. "But I still don't understand your motivation."

Snape sighed, biting back the urge to snap at her. That wouldn't help his case. "I am a spy," he responded tersely. "I am sometimes compelled to do things that are... unpleasant, to say the very least. I need Mr. Potter to understand that my true loyalty is to him, no matter how the situation appears."

Blaise shifted a bit closer and rested a protective hand on Harry's shoulder. "We are loyal to Harry," he said sharply. "Our Pack is family. And we will fight for each other, no matter who stands against us. That includes you, if necessary."

Snape nodded slowly, looking around at his students thoughtfully. He wasn't sure that he'd ever understand the Pack. These students had always been clever, but perfectly ordinary. Harry Potter's bond with Draco had changed them in ways that Snape and Dumbledore hadn't anticipated. What Sirius had laughingly referred to as "Pack Magic", seemed very real indeed. Snape could sense it in the room with them.

"I need some time," Harry finally said, his eyes still red. He gazed at Snape steadily. "I- I appreciate what you're trying to do. But... I'm angry. And-" His voice caught in his throat and he tucked his face into Draco's neck.

In Harry's place, Draco turned to Snape while tenderly cradling the back of Harry's head. "Thank you for your honesty," he said evenly. "I can respect your desire to make amends. Just give us all a bit of time to... process all this."

"Of course," Snape murmured. "I apologize for disturbing your evening." He swept from the room, accepting Ron's hostile glare without a word.

For a moment, the students remained silent. Draco could feel the warmth of Harry's breath against his neck. Harry seemed to be calming down as the three Beta's rubbed his shoulders and petted his hair.

"We're with you Alpha Orion," Draco said firmly, pulling back to look at Harry's face. "No matter what happened in the past. No matter what the future holds."

Harry nodded and then gently prodded Draco, prompting the blond to leave his lap. Harry stood up and then, just as Draco had hoped, he transformed. Draco transformed as well, knowing that a run in their wolf forms would help to clear Harry's mind.

Hermione smiled in understanding, and opened the door allowing the wolves to leave the room. Right away Remus and Sirius ran up the hallway looking anxious.

"Is everything alright?" Remus asked, kneeling before the black wolf and stroking his fur. "Severus looked a bit shaken when he left."

"What did he say to you?" Sirius growled, a surge of protectiveness rushing through him.

Orion whined softly and closed his eyes to savor Remus' loving strokes.

"We can tell you about it later," Blaise said, giving Sirius a pointed look. "They need some fresh air."

"Right," Sirius nodded absently, a worried frown creasing his brow. "I'll go with you." In the next moment, he turned into the shaggy black dog.

"I'll get the others," Ron murmured. He turned and bolted up the stairs to fetch the other teens.

Remus opened the door wide, allowing the three canines to go outside. The sun had set, but the air was still warm and the stars glittered down at them.

The rest of the teenagers ran outside and sprawled out on the grass. They watched as the black wolf let out a long mournful howl. The white wolf joined in, creating an eerie sort of harmony. It was a beautiful sound. The teens joined in, tipping their heads back and howling, feeling a bit silly as they did so.

The embarrassment was well worth it when they saw that Orion seemed to feel better. He was now pushing at Padfoot and attempting to knock him over. Padfoot growled playfully, dodging away and nearly making Orion fall on his face.

"He's like a giant clumsy puppy when he plays," Adrien noted with a snort of laughter.

"He is," Ron agreed, chortling. Then he let out a yelp as Orion came charging toward them. The wolf succeeded in knocking over Ron, Viktor and Adrien.

"You silly oaf," Ginny giggled, poking at Orion's side and watching him squirm. He was still sprawled across his friends and seemed reluctant to move off of them.

A moment later, Centauri and Padfoot joined in. They nosed at the others, gleefully knocking the teens over and delivering wet, messy dog kisses to faces and hair. Remus, Minerva and Narcissa stood off to one side, laughing at the scene. It was an odd way to deal with pain and stress, but it seemed to work for the Pack.


	34. Year Six: Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay guys. Life has been crazy for me. I had Hurricane Florence to deal with (we're in an area that was hit pretty hard) and then some issues with my illness. Yes, I'm alright and feeling better. :)

Being back at school made Harry feel incredibly nervous. He was glad to be returning to his studies and to have his friends with him, but he was worried about Draco. They weren't sure how some of the Slytherins would react to Draco's perceived betrayal.

Their first evening back was oddly quiet. Many students seemed to be peering curiously at Draco, but there was an unsettling amount of silence. Eyes watching, but nobody daring to approach Draco.

Blaise, Vince and Greg were quick to fill the awkward silences with chatter. Well, Blaise did. Vince and Greg occasionally grunted an answer, looking a bit alarmed at Blaise's ability to ramble on for so long.

Draco and Harry had decided to continue with keeping their relationship discreet. It seemed prudent to refrain from stirring up even more controversy. They weren't ashamed, but perhaps it was better to pick their battles, so to speak. At least for the time being.

The Slytherin common room went strangely quiet when Harry and Draco walked in. There were students scattered all over, looking at Draco. Harry swallowed hard and resisted the urge to pull Draco into his arms.

Most of the first years looked anxious. The older students were also clearly agitated, though several merely looked uncomfortable with the obvious tension in the room.

There was a group of Slytherins that made it clear that they were displeased with Draco, to put it mildly.

Theo Nott was sitting with a group of boys that were glaring coldly at Draco. Theo stood up and stalked toward Draco, sneering at the blond. "Turning your back on your family and the Dark Lord was a stupid mistake," Theo growled, pressing up close and forcing Draco to step back.

Draco bristled indignantly, straightening his posture and meeting Theo's eyes defiantly. "I don't regret my choice," he retorted. "And if you feel comfortable becoming a play thing for a psychotic werewolf in the name of your cause, be my guest. I refuse to have my life dictated that way any longer."

The werewolf comment caused many students to gasp and look horrified. That certainly wasn't information that had been passed through the rumor mill. Theo's expression flickered briefly before the scowl returned.

"That's really all that you'd be good for," Theo hissed, grabbing Draco's wrist in a vice like grip. "A pretty little play thing for a beast." His cruel gaze remained intent on Draco's face as he squeezed even tighter. "I will personally make sure that you suffer for your mistake."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "The only mistake here is your misguided belief that you have the right to touch me," Draco responded, his voice cool and calm despite the pain that now radiated through his hand. He thrust out his free hand sharply, willing his magic to force Theo away. The other boy landed on his back, gasping for breath from the impact.

"You little-"

"Stay away from me," Draco snapped, cutting Theo off. "And don't you dare touch me again."

Draco whirled away and stalked toward the stairs. Harry followed him, shooting Theo a stern glare as he passed. Once they made it to their dorm and closed the door, Harry pounced on Draco.

"Oh Merlin, are you hurt?" Harry asked, cradling Draco against his body and petting the soft blond hair gently.

"I'm fine," Draco assured him quietly. "My wrist aches a little, but it's nothing to worry about." He pulled back a little to meet Harry's gaze. "Thank you for letting me handle it."

"It was killing me to not interfere," Harry admitted with a grimace. "I hate that he put his hands on you."

"Relax," Draco urged him, pushing Harry back slightly. He was still feeling rather shaken himself, but he wanted Harry calm. It was their first evening back at school, and already there had been an aggressive confrontation. It didn't give Draco much hope for a peaceful year. But at that moment, it was most important to soothe Harry. If Harry would be calm, Draco could feel more calm as well.

It wasn't long after that when Blaise walked in, followed by Vince and Greg. Blaise sighed heavily, eyeing the couple that was now seated on Harry's bed. Harry looked quite tense and agitated, while Draco looked upset.

"Well, you've caused quite a stir," Blaise noted lightly. He narrowed his eyes, realizing that Harry was gently cradling Draco's left hand against his heart. "Is that where Theo grabbed him?"

"No major damage," Draco replied softly. "I'm just a bit shaken by the whole thing. To confront me so publicly..."

"Theo's a brute," Harry grumbled. "He could have really hurt you. You're so-"

"Harry Potter, if you call me delicate or fragile I'll rip your arms off," Draco growled. "I'm not made of glass. I'm not a damsel in distress. Don't you dare get it in your head that I need to be pushed back so you can defend me. I intend to fight at your side, no matter who opposes us."

Harry nodded sullenly, keeping his eyes on the floor. He hadn't intended to make Draco angry. He wanted to be a good boyfriend, and to keep Draco safe.

"Oh have a heart Draco," Blaise put in, shooting Harry a sympathetic look. "He looks like a kicked crup. You can't blame him for getting all worked up."

Draco sighed, reaching up to stroke Harry's untidy hair. "I love you Harry," he murmured. "You know that. But I can't let you treat me like I'm defenseless. We're stronger together. I'll be fine as long as I have you."

Harry finally met Draco's gaze. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to panic like that. I know that you're capable of defending yourself. I just- I can't stand to see you in pain."

"I understand that," Draco nodded. "I feel the same way about you. I always have. But we have to be equals in this. I may look a bit more... fragile compared to you, but that doesn't mean that I'm not strong or powerful." He grinned suddenly. "If it would make you feel better, I don't object to being pampered. That's perfectly acceptable."

Harry laughed, the tension in his body finally fading. "I'll gladly spoil the hell out of you," he chuckled.

"Gross," Blaise muttered, though he shook his head fondly at them.

Vince and Greg exchanged wary looks as they moved to prepare for bed. They were in a precarious position. Their fathers were Death Eaters. A friendship with Harry and Draco would be greatly frowned upon, if not viewed as outright betrayal. But, Vince and Greg were wolves and they wouldn't abandon their pack.

HP~DM

As classes started, most of the Slytherins avoided Harry and Draco. Blaise remained close to them, regardless of who was around. His mother was too busy with her newest husband to bother herself about who Blaise chose as allies. He didn't care about what the others thought.

Pansy was less able to publicly side with Harry and Draco. She didn't wish to draw the attention of her parents with her loyalties. She contented herself with keeping Vince and Greg busy. They were rather unhappy about not being free to associate with Harry and Draco.

The one benefit to the whole mess was that Draco was now able to fully embrace his friendships from the other houses. Harry had made it no secret that he was very close to Hermione and Ron. But Draco had always been far more reserved. Now the blond didn't care who knew about it. He'd already been disinherited. Draco didn't give a fig what his father thought about it.

The first meeting with the Wolf Pack was just a few days after the start of term. They all gathered in the Room of Requirement, gleefully exchanging hugs. The Slytherin wolves were particularly happy to embrace their friends from the other houses.

"I'm so sorry about your dad Draco," Hannah Abbott said sympathetically. "That must have been awful. What are you going to do now?"

"Mother was prepared," Draco said quietly. "She's set aside some money that my father can't get to. I still have my mother. And I still have Harry," he added, leaning against his boyfriend with a little smile.

"And you've got Harry's weird family and my family," Ron reminded him, patting Draco on the shoulder.

"Always," Ginny agreed, reaching out to squeeze Draco's hand.

"And the Pack," Ernie said. "This is family."

Draco's smile widened. He was so very grateful. He didn't think that he'd ever stop being astounded by the amount of love that poured from this odd band of students. "Ugh... You're the sappiest wolves ever," he complained teasingly, not wanting to let his emotions get the better of him.

Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright then," he said loudly, addressing the group. "Is there anything that needs to be handled right away? Problems, concerns..."

He paused, noticing Draco shifting away slightly. Harry smiled fondly when a smile lit up the blond's face as he held his arms out. A second later, Draco was nearly knocked to the floor as the pups barreled into him.

It was always amusing to see poised, graceful Draco on the floor in the middle of a puppy pile. Harry watched his boyfriend hug the younger children and listen to their chatter. They were all so eager for Draco's attention. And Harry couldn't blame them. Draco was so good with the pups, offering affection and encouragement freely.

"Right," Hermione said briskly, drawing Harry's attention back to the others. "So we've lost a few wolves here, but they will be assisting our efforts outside of Hogwarts. We've devised a way to maintain contact with our allies. Harry and Draco will be able be working with them to expand our network of allies."

"Why do we need a network?" Ernie asked.

Hermione's expression was grim. "War is coming," she said solemnly. "Voldemort is gathering followers and getting stronger. The time may come where many of us will need to go into hiding or be on the run. We must prepare for everything to keep our people safe."

"This network of wolves will be ready to fight or offer food and shelter," Ron added. "If Voldemort takes the ministry, none of us will be safe."

Daphne frowned. "It sounds as if you had a very busy summer," she noted. "These plans are becoming rather elaborate."

"We've got a lot to lose," Blaise reminded her. "We get stronger as our numbers grow, but our methods come at a price. We have such a strong bond with each other. We love each other." He paused, looking around at their pack with a pained expression. "But there are always casualties in war. And the loss of any one of you would be... unbearable."

"And so, we are doing everything we can think of to make sure you're all taken care of," Harry said, his voice a bit more rough than usual. "Safe houses, supplies, allies and the skills to survive. That's how we'll take care of our family."

Parvati swiped at her tears and Lavendar sniffled a little. "So tell us what to do now, Alpha Orion," Parvati said.

The others nodded, standing up straighter and focusing on Harry. Harry smiled, pleased to see his pack ready and willing to follow his command.

"We're splitting you into groups," Harry said calmly. "Each group will be assigned to a Beta who will teach you a spell. Then you will rotate. I'll be moving around the room to supervise and assist. Any questions?" When no one spoke, he began calling out their names and assigning each of them to one of the Betas.

Soon, there was a variety of spells being cast around the room. Harry had wanted to help the wolves become as advanced as possible. Some of the spells were for battle, but others were practical. Vincent was actually fairly decent with the disillusionment charm, and so he'd been given the task of teaching it.

Greg was good at the full-body bind spell so he was teaching that. Harry chuckled when Greg sternly reminded the wolves that they were not to use it casually in the halls.

Draco had remained with the Pups. He was patiently showing them how to block spells and disarm opponents.

Harry roamed around the room, correcting stances and offering advice to anyone struggling. He nodded in approval at his Betas, feeling especially proud of Vince and Greg. They had always been slower than the others, but they had worked diligently to keep up in their studies and training. Harry appreciated their fierce loyalty and protectiveness. Truly, they worked harder than anyone.

They had only had time for rotating the groups twice. It was nearly curfew and they all needed to get to their common rooms. Draco assigned older students to escort the pups, bidding them a goodnight with paternal fondness.

Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's waist from behind, resting his chin on Draco's shoulder. "You'll make a great dad one day," Harry murmured, pressing a tiny kiss to the blond's neck.

Draco blushed, smiling slightly. "Contemplating children are we?" he questioned teasingly.

"I can't help it," Harry chuckled. "You're really good with the pups. You get so sweet and... fatherly with them." He nipped at Draco's ear when the blond snorted. "When this is all over, we'll get to have our own happily ever after. I think I'd like for us to have a family."

Draco melted at Harry's words. They had never really talked about their future. Draco really hadn't given much thought to it. Their relationship wasn't even out in the open. But hearing that Harry was picturing their life beyond Hogwarts and the war...

Draco turned in Harry's arms and kissed him deeply. They were breathless when they pulled apart. "You're wonderful, and I love you," Draco said quietly.

"Gag... Nobody wants to watch you two snog," Ron complained, though he grinned teasingly.

Draco turned again, content to keep Harry's arms around him. Most of the wolves had left, leaving behind the Betas, Neville, Ginny, Luna, Seamus, Dean and Pansy. Draco nodded in approval. "We have one last thing to address before we go," he said, resting his back against Harry's chest.

"You six have been selected as our inner circle," Hermione said, looking around at the non-betas in the room. "That circle may expand, but this will do for now."

"We trust you," Ron added seriously. "You're our closest friends and you've done well in training. We need to know that if it's ever needed, there are people to step in and guide the wolves."

"This is heavy," Seamus muttered, looking unsettled. Dean nodded, frowning in concern.

"We're not planning to die," Blaise assured them with a smile. "But we don't know what the future holds. After the Alphas, the Betas lead the pack. We need another line of defense."

"It's an important role, and the Betas will be relying on you," Draco told them seriously. "Are you willing to take on some new responsibilities should the Betas ask it of you?"

"Yes Alpha Centauri," Neville declared, standing straight and looking determined. The others followed his example swiftly.

"We're like generals leading an army," Harry murmured to Hermione.

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. The dynamic shift in the pack was certainly strange. Their obvious respect for the Alphas and Betas was great, but it seemed to have become something more. These wolves were warriors, waiting for an order from their commanding officer. It was just a little unnerving.

"Thank you," Harry said with a nod to the group. "Let's head out. Tomorrow will be another busy day." He followed the others out into the hall, dreading the following day. It was going to be there first class with Snape, and Harry expected to be asked to stay behind to speak with the professor.

Snape had kept his distance from Harry since their last disastrous discussion. But, it was time to face each other and Harry was dreading it.

HP~DM

Harry stood in front of Snape's desk, grateful to have Draco at his side and their Betas standing just behind them. Snape held unnaturally still, his eyes focused intently on Harry. He opened his mouth, only to abruptly close it.

Draco sighed, nudging Harry gently. Harry nodded once and then looked to his professor reluctantly. "I appreciated your honesty when you came to speak with me," Harry began. "I'm sure that it couldn't have been easy. And-" He paused, smiling slightly when Draco squeezed his hand in encouragement. "And, I think I can trust you. I'm sorry that it's taken so long for me to tell you."

"Your hesitation and doubt were expected and understandable," Snape responded solemnly. He eyed Harry thoughtfully. "Will you accept my loyalty and service?"

"Service?" Ron asked, careful to keep his tone respectful.

Snape nodded slowly. "In the coming war, you may find yourselves in need of assistance," he replied. "You should be able to come to me. Anything you need..." he added, meeting Harry's gaze steadily.

Harry and Draco exchanged a quick look before looking back at their professor. "We accept," Harry said. "Thank you."

Snape's relief was visible for just a moment before his expression became neutral again. Whether the two Alphas were fully aware of it or not, they were building an army that had far more potential than the Order of the Phoenix ever had. Snape would be a fool not to fall in line with them, and he was certainly not a fool.

"Moving on then," the professor drawled. "I also need to tell you that Lucius Malfoy has contacted Dumbledore to request a meeting with his son."

Draco stiffened, his eyes narrowed. "He disowned me," Draco sneered. "I no longer bear that title."

Snape sighed. "You'll always be his son," he murmured. "But I think it's wise to indulge him this once. There is something odd about his request and I feel that all is not as it seems."

"We would go with you," Blaise told Draco quietly. "Vince and Greg can be under a disillusionment charm so your dad can't report them to their fathers."

"You'll be safe," Hermione agreed, patting Draco's back.

"Fine," Draco grumbled. "I'll meet with him. But if he starts shouting or speaking ill of Harry, I'll hex him and leave."

"Noted," Severus responded, looking amused.

The meeting was arranged for the next day in Dumbledore's office. Harry and Draco stood together with their hands entwined, too anxious to sit down. Blaise, Ron and Hermione were seated and sipping tea, their calm demeanor hiding their wary alertness. Vince, Greg and Snape were safely tucked into a dark corner under disillusionment charms.

When Lucius stepped through the fireplace, he froze at the sight of the rooms occupants. Draco pressed a little closer to Harry's side, pain creeping into his chest at the sight of his father. As much as he'd wanted to shove the hurt aside and focus on Harry, the wolves and school, his father's rejection ate at him.

"I had expected to meet with Draco more privately," Lucius said warily.

"I won't let that happen," Harry said quietly.

"And there's nothing that you could possibly say to me that Harry shouldn't hear," Draco added firmly, grateful that his voice remained steady. He glanced back at his other friends and smiled slightly. "And I trust my friends with my life."

Lucius made a quiet sound of frustration. "Are you so set on throwing away centuries of tradition?" he asked, irritated. "Does the purity of the blood line mean nothing? You're spitting in the face of your own family!"

Draco's scowled. "It hardly matters since you disowned me and denied me my inheritance," he retorted coldly. "What matters to me is that I love Harry Potter. And he loves me back," he added, giving Harry a sweet little smile before he looked back at his father. "And that is worth everything."

"Well said mate," Ron said, pride clear in his tone.

Lucius was silent for a moment and then he gave a reluctant little nod. He looked at Draco again, suddenly looking weary and pained. "While I certainly don't condone your choice of partner," he began, "I didn't want to disown you."

For a moment, the room was silent. "What do you mean?" Draco demanded, his hands shaking.

Lucius closed his eyes tightly, swallowing hard. "I just wanted you to be safe," he said, his voice rough. "Your stubborn choice to align yourself with Potter put you in danger. The Dark Lord isn't forgiving and his idea of mercy is the killing curse." He opened his eyes, focusing on his son. "I couldn't let him hurt you or your mother. You are what matters to me."

Draco's breath caught in his throat and he squeezed Harry's hand more firmly. Harry returned the pressure, eyeing Lucius thoughtfully. "So what are you saying?" Harry asked.

Lucius finally made eye contact with Harry. "I've seen what you can do," Lucius said softly. "Once the Dark Lord realizes the extent of your abilities, I fear that his actions will become desperate and erratic. He's already made Draco a target.". He paused, fear flickering on his face briefly. "I would do anything to protect my family. And being at the Dark Lord's side has done nothing but divide us. I disowned my only son as a sign of loyalty when Bellatrix suggested it. I can't protect him if I'm dead."

Harry nodded slowly. "So you just came to tell him that you didn't mean it?" he asked, raising one eyebrow in speculation.

Lucius grimaced and then relaxed his features back into neutrality. "I think that you can win," he said evenly. "And I- I wish to assist in your cause. For the sake of my wife and child." He paused and then forced himself to continue, ignoring the expressions of shock on the students' faces. "The Dark Lord is mad. The world he envisions is not one that I would want. In the end, even his most faithful followers are little more than servants."

"So you wish to join us?" Dumbledore asked politely, startling everyone. They'd nearly forgotten that he was still in the room.

Lucius frowned at the headmaster. The idea of being loyal to Dumbledore made his stomach turn. He didn't trust the man.

"Perhaps loyalty to Harry and I is more palatable?" Draco suggested lightly.

Lucius turned to his son in surprise and confusion. "To you and-"

"We're allies with the Order of the Phoenix, but we're not part of them," Draco explained.

"You have your own organization?"

"Not only that," Blaise put in, stretching his legs out in front of him. "They're the leaders."

"That's all he needs to know for now," Harry said. It was too soon to reveal their secrets.

"Of course Alpha," Blaise responded obediently, saying nothing further.

Lucius looked between the students curiously, wondering about the odd title but wisely refraining from questioning it. Instead, he cleared his throat. "What can I do?" he asked a bit awkwardly. "I assume that you need information..."

"A second spy would be quite beneficial," Dumbledore noted, looking over at the two Alphas. "And this one would report directly to you."

Lucius sputtered in shock. "I beg your pardon? Second spy?" he asked incredulously. "You have had a spy within the Death Eaters ranks?"

Before anyone else could answer, Snape cancelled his disillusionment charm. He stepped out of the shadows and smirked when Lucius took a step back.

"You, Severus?" Lucius asked, gray eyes wide. "You betrayed us?"

"I did," the potions master replied evenly, completely unapologetic. "I've been helping to protect and guide Potter all along. And by extension, I've protected your son."

"Okay, how do we know this one isn't going to run back and tell old snake-face everything?" Ron interrupted, gesturing toward Lucius impatiently.

"I've seen into his mind," Harry replied, grinning at Malfoy Senior's startled expression. Snape had introduced them to legilimency, and Harry had found it, as well as occlumency, to be much easier without a horcrux inside him.

"As have I," Draco added.

"I may have glanced as well," Dumbledore admitted with a little shrug.

"So did I," Snape agreed.

Blaise snorted at Lucius' scandalized expression. "In a room full of Legilimens," he cackled. "That's brilliant."

"Bloody hell," Ron chuckled while Hermione pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggles.

"I- I feel violated," Lucius muttered, frowning when it caused more laughter. He sighed heavily, waiting until the students had calmed. "What would you have me do?"

Harry smiled and waved one hand, cancelling the charm that concealed Vince and Greg. He ignored Lucius renewed gaping as he considered his response. "You can tell us what you know of the child assassin," Harry decided.

Lucius winced slightly. "I don't know much, I'm afraid," he admitted, glancing tensely between Harry and Dumbledore. "I obviously didn't know that I'd need that information. The Dark Lord doesn't let all of his followers know his plans. But I can-"

"It's fine, Mr. Malfoy," Harry cut him off smoothly. "Any information you have is appreciated."

Lucius relaxed slightly, his tension fading a bit. "I was not privy to the details of that mission," he said in a much calmer tone. "But I did overhear a few things in passing. Some of my- er... former associates gossiped like old women." He sat down in one of the chairs, apparently convinced that he wasn't going to be attacked. "What I can tell you is that the assassin is a pureblood, but from a less influential family. He won't be anything that you expect. And I heard... They say he's a sociopath and very adept at hiding it."

Harry frowned. This information wouldn't help them beyond letting them know how dangerous this would-be murderer was.

"Is there anything else, Father?" Draco pressed urgently. "Anything at all?"

Lucius shook his head regretfully. "No, but you must be careful," he said. "Whoever it is, is certainly no friend to you." He stared at Draco for a moment and then looked back down at his hands. "Truly, I only want what's best for you Draco," he murmured.

Draco sat down, his expression pained. "It might take me a little bit of time to believe you," he responded quietly. "But thank you."

"Is your mother-" Lucius swallowed hard, horrified to find that it was very difficult to remain composed. "Is she alright?"

"Mother is safe," Draco replied. "She's well taken care of. I'll let her know that we've spoken."

Lucius nodded. "And you will still inherit everything," he added, watching Draco hopefully. He flinched when Draco's eyes began to look glassy.

"As far as I'm concerned, the loss of my inheritance was more insult than injury," Draco retorted, his throat feeling tight with emotion. Unwilling to weep in front of his father, Draco stood back up. "I need to go," he muttered, keeping his eyes on the floor as he headed for the door. The others could conclude this painful meeting; Draco was done.

Harry stood up to follow, pausing only to look at his friends. Ron nodded in encouragement. "Take care of him," Ron said. "We'll finish up here." Harry smiled gratefully and rushed out, not sparing a glance for Lucius.

Draco took several deep breaths as he made his way through the hallways, glad that he'd managed to avoid crying. He slowed his pace, knowing that Harry was close behind.

Harry caught up easily, taking Draco's hand silently. Talk wasn't necessary. Draco had needed a moment to calm himself down and Harry was happy to give him space to do so. Now, with a normal pulse and calmer thoughts, Draco readily welcomed Harry's loving presence at his side, effortlessly soothing the rest of Draco's anxiety. In that moment, the warmth of their entwined fingers was enough.


	35. Year Six: Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! And I feel like a horrible person for making you guys wait for so long. The holidays were crazy busy for me and then my health was really not so good for a while. But, I'm recuperating and feeling inspired.  
> Honestly, I'm not thrilled with this chapter, but I'm super excited about what's to come. Just hang in there. I really appreciate all the support you guys have given me. I plan to make this worth the wait.

Professor Slughorn was rather fond of Harry.

It made Harry really uncomfortable.

Slughorn cheerfully greeted Harry like an old friend whenever their paths crossed. In class, he offered delighted praise over Harry's potion making. He wasn't nearly as enthusiastic with the other students, despite the fact that Draco and Hermione's potions were just as good, if not better. Hermione was a little put out about it, but Draco shrugged it off. Honestly, he couldn't be angry when Harry looked so adorably flustered by the attention.

As much as Harry wanted to avoid the potions professor, he knew that he needed to endure it. Slughorn had a memory of Tom Riddle as a teenager that Harry really needed. The memory that the man had given to Dumbledore had been tampered with, though poorly done, obscuring the information that Harry needed about Horcruxes. So, no matter how much Harry wanted to avoid it, he needed to court Slughorn's favor.

"Did you get invited to join the 'Slug Club'?" Draco asked Hermione, wrinkling his nose at the ridiculous name.

They were setting their books down on a table in the library, hoping to finish their homework before dinner. It had been a long and very busy day and they were eager to be finished with it.

Hermione paused, looking perplexed momentarily before she nodded absently. "Oh yes, of course," she said, reaching into her school bag. "I shoved the invitation in here... somewhere."

Harry smiled slightly, sitting down next to Draco and tucking his own invitation into his potions book. "It might not be so bad," he suggested, though he looked doubtful. "It's just tea."

"The formal invitations alone make the whole thing ridiculous," Blaise snorted, dropping into a chair next to Hermione.

"Exactly," Draco agreed with a chuckle. "But, it'll give us something to laugh at."

"Because weird, pretentious tea parties are hilarious," Harry grumbled, earning an amused smirk from Draco.

Before long, Ron joined them, reluctantly taking out his own homework. His friends had turned him into a decent student, but he wasn't happy about it. The professors certainly appreciated it though.

They worked silently for a while, steadily finishing their arithmancy homework. Harry was quite enjoying the class despite Ron's teasing. Harry was learning so much and the hard work was worth it.

The threat of war that stretched out before them filled Harry with cold dread. He wanted to soak up every bit of knowledge that he could. There was too much at stake and there were a lot of people depending on him.

Harry scowled as someone shoved past their table, roughly knocking against Draco's chair. Harry turned in his seat to face Theo Nott and two other Slytherins, Tolbert and Corentin Fawley. Tolbert was a sixth year and Corentin was a fourth year. At that moment, Tolbert was smirking, his dark, cold eyes on Draco. Corentin was frowning at his brother and shifting away slightly.

"Problem Potter?" Tolbert asked with a sneer.

"Yeah," Ron cut in before Harry could respond. "You've got the face of a troll and it's going to ruin our appetites. So, move along."

Blaise wheezed into his textbook, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Hermione rolled her eyes.

Tolbert took a step closer, only to be stopped when his younger brother grasped his arm. "You'll get us all into trouble," the younger muttered.

"Don't be such a baby, Corey," Tolbert sneered, jerking his arm away.

"Let's go," Theo said sharply, turning away and leading the way out of the library. The two brothers followed, the younger glancing back and offering a little wave.

"Idiots," Ron grumbled, shading his head.

"Yes, and antagonizing them was a brilliant idea," Draco said sarcastically.

"Please," Ron scoffed. "You and I both know that you and Harry could annihilate them wandlessly without breaking a sweat."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Harry cut in before Draco's expression could turn smug. "We aren't here to show off. We can't allow our abilities to become common knowledge."

"You also can't allow yourselves to be bullied," Ron retorted. "What would that say about you to those that look up to you. Your pups would be crushed."

Harry sighed. "It's awful to try using the pups against us," he huffed at the red head.

"And you can stand up for yourself without stooping to name calling," Hermione added, giving Ron a disapproving look.

"I did no such thing," Ron argued with dignified little sniff. "I was merely making an observation about his ugly troll face." He grinned when Draco and Blaise muffled their laughter with their textbooks.

___________________________

Slughorn's little gathering was, perhaps, not as bad as it could have been. But Draco was petty enough to make sure that his friends know how put-upon he felt. They mostly rolled their eyes and ignored his complaints. It hardly mattered though. Draco allowed himself to be appeased by Harry's sympathetic response. The true nature of their relationship was a secret to most of Hogwarts, but Harry was delighted to spoil Draco in the midst of their trusted friends.

So, Draco played nice by attending the gathering and charming the pants off of Slughorn. Figuratively speaking, of course. Harry appreciated his efforts. Harry was far too uncomfortable with the man to put so much effort into cultivating good will. As it was, Slughorn seemed willing enough to associate all of Draco's flattery with Harry as well.

It was tempting to immediately ask Slughorn about his memories of Tom Riddle. It would certainly be preferable to continuing this game of flattery. However, it seemed reasonable to court the man's favor a bit longer. It seemed clear that Slughorn was surely ashamed of what the memory contained if he'd bothered to attempt fooling Dumbledore with an altered memory.

"You were great," Harry praised once they returned to their dorm that evening. "I really appreciate your help. You know I'm not good at all that."

"I suppose the night wasn't a total loss," Draco sighed, tossing his robes aside and loosening his tie. "Slughorn seems especially fond of us. And I'm always glad to help you," he said, draping his arms over Harry's shoulders with a smile. He pressed a kiss to Harry's lips sweetly.

"You're the best," Harry murmured, guiding Draco to his bed. He tugged the shoes off of Draco's feet and before them in his lap. Harry gave Draco's feet a firm squeeze, massaging carefully. He smiled when Draco relaxed completely, laying back on the bed.

For several moments, the pair was silent. Harry's gentle hands steadily drained the tension from Draco's body. Harry bit his lip, glancing at Draco. "I think-" Harry cut himself off, swallowing hard. "I think we should stop hiding our relationship."

Draco sat up, pulling his feet away from Harry's lap carefully. "Where's this coming from?" he asked.

"I've been thinking about since last term," Harry admitted. "When you mentioned feeling like my dirty little secret."

"Harry-"

"And it's not fair to either of us," Harry continued hastily. He caught Draco's hand in a gentle squeeze. "I love you and I don't care what anyone else thinks about it."

"We can't," Draco said quietly. "Harry, you know how dangerous that could be. It's bad enough that I'm seen as a traitor. Being labeled as gay and the boyfriend of Harry Potter would only make things worse for both of us."

"I'm not afraid," Harry insisted.

"But I am," Draco responded, looking away. "This is hard enough. It's easier this way." His breath hitched a little when he looked back to see the hurt on Harry's face. He crawled over to sit in Harry's lap, straddling his thighs. "Please don't be mad," he murmured, nuzzling into Harry's dark hair.

"I'm not mad," Harry muttered, realizing he sounded a bit petulant. At Draco's disbelieving look, he sighed heavily. "I'm just tired of hiding. Why do we even bother with this?" he huffed.

"Don't say things like that," Draco snapped, instantly removing himself from Harry's lap. He scowled as he stood in front of Harry, his arms folded over his chest in irritation. "Unless you just don't want to be with me. Our relationship is difficult, so you could always just find someone else," he added sharply.

"No!" Harry yelped, visibly shaken by the suggestion. "No, Draco. I-" He looked down at his hands, unable to continue. He and Draco argued sometimes, but they'd neither had ever hinted at a break up before. It made Harry feel sick.

"It's fine Harry," Draco sighed, looking away guiltily. "I shouldn't have said that." He glanced at Harry, feeling bad for upsetting him.

Harry stood up slowly, unable to meet Draco's gaze. "I'm going to go shower," he murmured, pressing a light kiss to Draco's cheek before grabbing his toiletries and bed clothes. He slipped out of the room without another word.

Draco changed into bed clothes and sat down on his own bed. He curled up on his side as Blaise, Vince and Greg walked in. Blaise gave Draco a searching look, taking a seat on the edge of the blond's bed. "Harry looked a little off," he mentioned. "Want to tell me what's going on?"

Draco explained the conversation that they'd had, reluctantly including his own careless words. Luckily, Blaise didn't seem inclined to be judgmental about it. Instead, Blaise nodded sympathetically. "I'm sure it's pretty stressful," he allowed while Vince and Greg nodded their agreement. "But, you can't keep it a secret forever. That's no way to live."

"You think I don't know that?" Draco hissed irritably. "But, coming out will only make it harder. Everyone will look at us differently. And I'm already a target for most of the Slytherins."

"So how long do you plan to wait?" Blaise asked. "Until the war is over? That could take a long time."

"I'm just- I can't-" Draco struggled to articulate how he felt, failing miserably. "I'm not discussing this," he finally declared, rolling to face away from his friends.

Blaise shook his head and didn't push any further. His concern grew when Harry returned from his shower, looking clean but dejected. As much as Blaise wanted to ask a hundred questions, he settled for offering Harry a reassuring smile and not saying a word.

The next morning, Blaise rounded on Harry the moment Draco left to shower. Harry, however, seemed reluctant to discuss the argument from the night before. Not to be deterred, Blaise stubbornly moved to stand in front of Harry.

Harry glared at Blaise, but set aside his bag to grudgingly focus on his friend. "What Blaise?" Harry asked flatly.

"Draco is scared," Blaise said firmly. "That's all it is. It's a tense situation with the Slytherins and there's the thing with his dad... He's probably terrified that something will risk damage your relationship. Of course, he'll damage it himself if he's not careful," he added.

"I know," Harry nodded, looking weary and tense. "I just want-" He cut himself off with a shake off his head.

"Maybe Draco just needs the right motivation to move beyond his fears," Blaise suggested.

Harry bit his lip. "I was thinking that myself," he admitted. "But it seems a little manipulative."

"Ah, then we're on the same page," Blaise responded with a grin. "Let's just behave like the Slytherins we are to solve this problem. Honestly, Draco would probably be proud of us."

"This will be good," Vince muttered, turning to listen to the discussion with a smirk. Greg just grinned in response.

_________________________

Draco frowned, his eyes narrowing as he watched some seventh year Gryffindor chat with Harry. The older boy had approached Harry in the library and had seemed keen to talk. Harry was polite, smiling easily and looking relatively comfortable with the conversation. Draco struggled to avoid grinding his teeth when the other young man laughed at something Harry said.

Blaise glanced at Draco with a knowing smirk. This was the second student, outside of their usual friends, in the last week that had approached Harry for an overly friendly and slightly flirtatious conversation. The last one had been a sixth year girl from Ravenclaw. Harry tactfully brushed the flirtations aside, but it still made Draco want to throw something. Blaise was quite enjoying the whole thing.

"Hey Draco."

Draco flinched, turning to look at the girl that had approached the table while he'd been distracted. The badge on her robes proclaimed her to be a Hufflepuff, and she was only slightly familiar. "Hello," Draco said hesitantly. "I'm sorry, I don't-"

"I'm Genevieve," she supplied promptly, ducking her head shyly and glancing up at him from beneath dark eye lashes.

Draco nodded slowly. "Alright," he said cautiously. "Did you need something?"

"Er- No," she answered, blushing. "I just wanted to say hi. You- You seem nice. I know you're Harry's best friend and that you're friends with Ron and Hermione."

"I'm Blaise, if you care to know that," Blaise put in, his voice amused as he propped his chin up in one hand. He gestured between himself and Draco. "We're friends too."

"Hello," Genevieve greeted sheepishly, blushing even more when Blaise winked at her. "Well, I should go... I'll see you around." She hurried away, and returned to her friends that had apparently been waiting near the library door. The girls looked back at Draco and Blaise before giggling and leaving.

"Sweet Salazar," Draco groaned. "That was painfully awkward."

"At least she was pretty," Blaise noted with a little shrug.

"As if I care about that," Draco sneered quietly. He glanced back toward Harry and ended up setting fire to his quill when he saw the friendly Gryffindor boy reach out and touch Harry's arm.

Harry hastily side-stepped the other boy with a quick farewell before returning to the table he'd been sharing with Blaise and Draco. "Draco, what the hell?" he asked, his eyes wide.

Draco had already extinguished the flaming quill, but he looked horrified. "I'm- I'm not having a good day," he murmured with a little sigh. He shot a dirty look at Blaise for snorting in amusement. "What did that bloke want?"

"Just to talk," Harry responded with a little shrug, but he was betrayed by the faint blush on his cheeks. "And he may have wanted to know if I'd be interested in going with him on the next Hogsmead trip," he admitted.

Draco scowled. "How nice," he sneered.

Harry gave him an impatient look before moving to help Draco pack his things. "Come on. Let's just go to dinner," he said, stubbornly avoiding Blaise's gaze.

It was fortunate that they had a meeting with the Wolf Pack scheduled after dinner. Draco couldn't wait to be away from all the flirting. He hadn't put much thought into it before, but he was suddenly painfully aware of the number of couples around the school. It was to be expected in a castle full of hormonal teenagers, but it had been so easy to disregard in the past.

The exception had been fourth year, when Draco had wanted to strangle everyone who so much as looked at Harry. In the end, it had been Draco on Harry's arm at the Yule Ball. But his triumph over all the simpering girls was dampened by the fact that everyone thought that they'd attended the ball together simply as a deterrent to overzealous Potter fans. The thought was mildly depressing.

These morose thoughts were cut off by the loud shuffling of several pairs of feet and a delighted squeal. Draco blinked and then grinned as the smallest pup jumped right into his arms. The petite Gryffindor, tilted her head back to peek up at Draco's face. "I got ten points from Professor Flitwick," she announced, her sweet voice high with excitement.

"Well done Lexie," Draco praised, carefully setting her on her feet and patting down her long dark hair. He looked around at the five other pups with a fond smile as he urged them further into the room of requirement. "Did everyone have a great day?" he asked.

The pups chattered happily, eager to impress. Draco patiently indulged them, praising them or offering encouragement as needed. When a few of the wolves that had moved on from pup status approached, Draco was glad to offer a hug.

"Alright you lot," Ron called out, getting everyone's attention. "We have a lot to get done and Alpha Centauri can't cuddle pups all evening. No pouting Devin," he added playfully, pointing at a second year Hufflepuff that had his bottom lip poked out in an exaggerated pout.

"Alright my darlings," Draco sighed quietly. "Time to get to work. You're training with Vince today. Can you behave for him?"

"Yes Alpha Centauri," the youngsters chorused. They smiled at Vince when he approached, allowing the large beta to herd them to a safe corner of the room.

Satisfied, Draco turned his attention back to the others. He was pleased to note that Harry's eyes were focused on him, intent and affectionate. "Shall we begin?" Draco asked.

Harry grinned and started the training session. The wolves worked hard and had become quite adept at cooperative spell work. Sometimes they were set up to duel in teams of three or four. It had been chaotic at first, but they were starting to support each other and look after their team members.

Harry put a lot of emphasis on technique, correcting stances and adjusting wand movements. The older students helped the younger ones to learn more difficult spells. Everyone seemed to be improving steadily.

As the evening grew later, the pups were sent to bed and most of the wolves left as well to start patrolling, leaving the inner circle behind. Harry nodded to them and they looked around, spotting Hermione at a little table along one wall. She was frowning down at a sheet of parchment as she scribbled notes onto it with a quill.

"What are you doing?" Blaise called over to her, stretching languidly. "I know you finished your homework already."

Hermione set her quill down and looked over at her friends pensively. "I've been thinking," she murmured, still frowning slightly. "At some point, the horcruxes will have to be located and destroyed."

"Obviously," Ron responded with a little shrug.

"What if Dumbledore can't find them all?" she asked.

For a moment, nobody spoke. Then Draco sighed softly. "The headmaster is already preparing for his own death in a way," he noted, giving Harry a sympathetic look. "That's why he told you about the Elder wand."

"But, even if Dumbledore gets through the war unscathed, there's a chance that we'll be pulled in far sooner than we'd like," Hermione went on.

"Speak for yourself. I can't wait to fight against lunatic death eaters," Ron said sarcastically.

"Come on, you know what she means," Blaise chided, rolling his eyes.

"The fact is," Hermione pressed on, pointedly ignoring Ron, "we may find ourselves on the run before long. If Voldemort takes the ministry, we won't be safe here."

"We know," Draco said impatiently. "What are you getting at?"

"We need more specific training to survive," Hermione said. "It won't be safe to stay home and we'll have a lot of work to do. We'll each need a specialty or task that we perform for the group. That's more practical than all of us trying to learn everything."

"You'll need one of you to be a decent enough healer," Neville put in helpfully.

"And you need a strategist," Pansy added.

Harry nodded slowly. "So each of us develop a special skill in addition to our fighting abilities," he summarized.

"Exactly," Hermione agreed with a prim little nod. "And I think a similar tactic is appropriate for the rest of the pack. I want to think that Hogwarts will be safe, but if it's not..."

"We've got to be able to protect the school," Ginny said. Seamus and Dean nodded somberly.

"I'm actually wondering if we need an exit strategy," Hermione muttered. "If something happens, we need a safe place for people to go."

"Wait, we have young students in our care," Blaise reminded her. "We can't just whisk them away. They have families."

"We'll deal with that if it comes up," Harry said firmly. "If one of our wolves needs a safe place to go, we'll take care of it."

Draco pressed one hand to his stomach lightly. "Just thinking of the necessity of such a precaution-" He cut himself off with a little shudder. "I hate the idea that we might not be here to protect our pups. That we're thinking of removing them from Hogwarts to hide them away... It's awful."

Harry pulled Draco in from behind to cradle the blond against his chest. "It'll be alright," he murmured. "We're just being extra cautious right now."

Draco turned and pressed his face against Harry's neck. He relaxed, grateful to cuddle against Harry for the moment. It was especially pleasant after all the feelings of jealousy that had been plaguing him. Draco just needed to focus on their training and not worry about the fruitless flirtations of other people. He and Harry were soulmates, and that wasn't going to change.


End file.
